WOMEN’S BASKETBALL — Two wins over the weekend placed the 2009-10 women’s basketball team at No. 1 in UCSD’s record books.
Spending their last two days of winter break on the road, the Tritons recorded close wins against Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Dominguez Hills, with a combined two-game victory margin of only nine points. The wins extended the Triton streak to 10 — the first time in university history.
On Saturday, the Tritons defeated CSULA 65-61. With only 1:08 remaining in a tied game, sophomore pointguard Chelsea Carlisle capitalized on an LA turnover and sank a three-pointer, handing UCSD the lead for the rest of the match.
Carlisle and junior forward Tiffany Hunter led the team with 15 points a piece, with senior guard Annette Ilg adding 10 points. Despite a poor shooting night, the Tritons held on for the victory: UCSD shot just 38 percent from the field, but made 35 percent from beyond the arc. On the other hand, LA shot over 50 percent from the field and outrebounded the Tritons 40-32, but only took four freethrow shots — compared to 19 from the Tritons.
The Golden Eagles were led by junior forward Jordan Kuzma, who put in 15 points. Overall, though, fell to 2-7 overall keeping them winless in league play.
The Tritons continued their streak with a 69-64 victory over CSU Dominguez Hills on Sunday. Carlisle once again led the way, totaling a 28-point season high — two points short of her career high. Though the Tritons came out slowly, trailing by as many as 11 in the first half and five at halftime, they took advantage of the Toros’ mistakes to score 20 points off turnovers. Carlisle scored seven of the Tritons’ final nine points, including a go-ahead three-pointer for the second night in a row.
UCSD trailed 60-58 with 2:24 left, but Ilg came up with a steal and hit a short jumper to tie the score; Carlisle then sank her third three-pointer of the game to push the Tritons ahead.
UCSD also bagged 13 points from Hunter, who led the team with seven rebounds. CSUDH had three scorers in double figures, but fell to a 3-7 overall season record with the loss. The game was tight throughout, seeing 13 lead changes and 12 ties before the Trtins emerged victorious.
Carlisle’s clutch weekend was a continuation of an already outstanding season. She is currently the leading Triton scorer, averaging 18.5 points per game. The sophomore guard has also been a consistent team leader in steals, assists and playing time.
The Tritons will take a shot at extending their record winning streak on Thursday, with a CCAA home opener against Chico State. The game starts at 5:30 p.m. in RIMAC Arena.
Readers can contact Liam Rose at [email protected].
