The UCSD men’s basketball team spent the weekend in Northern California, where it played two great halves in two games that left something to be desired. After a great first half against the California Collegiate Athletic Association-leading Sonoma State, a cold-shooting second half led to a 70-53 Triton loss on Jan. 27. The tables flipped on Jan. 28, with the Tritons sweet shot absent until intermission. After the break, however, the team put together a strong final half in a 65-56 victory over San Francisco State that left UCSD with an 8-10 overall record and a 5-5 mark in CCAA competition.
Freshman forward Darryl Lawlor and the Tritons split their weekend road series against Sonoma State and San Francisco State to improve to 8-10 overall and 5-5 in league play.
Against the Gators, UCSD found itself in a rut more common of the opponents who have had to face their own CCAA-leading defense. With over 14 minutes played in the first, the Tritons had only managed seven points. Fortunately for UCSD, San Francisco State was unable to run away with the game, with its largest margin in the half at 12. Five different Tritons scored in the final five and a half minutes as UCSD went into the break down 25-17.
The Tritons came out determined in the second half. Unable to go on a remarkable run on either end, the Tritons instead attacked with steady basketball and proved relentless as they slowly chipped away at the Gators’ lead. Led by three three-pointers from sophomore guard Clint Allard, UCSD took its first lead of the game, 41-40, with just over eight minutes to play. From there, San Francisco State would hold close, but never again gain the lead. After allowing the Gators back to within one with six minutes to play, UCSD went to freshman forward Darryl Lawlor, who nailed a jumper while being fouled and sunk the ensuing free-throw to complete the three-point play. San Francisco State’s Zack Johnson answered with two free throws on the other end, before another Triton freshman, guard Shane Poppen, stepped up and scored four-straight UCSD points. The lead was never in serious jeopardy after that point and would grow to as much as 12 before a three-pointer by the Gators’ Jevon Doss ended the game with the nine-point spread.
Shooting 31.6 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from the free-throw line in the first half obviously led to UCSD’s early struggles, but the Tritons rebounded by shooting 51.9 percent from the field and converting 85 percent of their free throws while holding the Gators to 37 percent field-goal shooting in the second half. UCSD proved more efficient, committing 14 turnovers to San Francisco’s 17, and won the rebounding battle 31-29, en route to the comeback victory.
Allard led the UCSD attack as one of three players in double-digits, scoring a game-high 16 points to go along with three assists and three rebounds, while Lawlor came off the bench to score 14 points and record a game-high four assists. Fellow freshman forward Henry Patterson recorded 13 points and four steals during the game. The Gators were led in defeat by two players in double digits, with both starter Will Logan and reserve Doss scoring 12 points, while Logan also grabbed a game-high eight boards.
Before the second half heroics gave them their eighth overall win, the Tritons three-game winning streak, tied for the longest in the program’s Division II history, came to an end on Jan. 27 at Seawolf Gym against Sonoma State.
UCSD and Sonoma State battled early on, with the lead changing six times in the first half. The Tritons showed they were very capable of battling with the CCAA elite, coming back each time the Seawolves grabbed the lead to regain their positioning. A jumper by Poppen at the 1:44 mark gave UCSD a nine-point advantage, the largest of the half. After two free throws by the Seawolves’ J.T. Tipton, UCSD forced two turnovers, but missed three shots, settling for a 35-28 lead at the half.
The Seawolves went on a 14-0 run to open the second half, while the Tritons continued their cold streak from the end of the first half, missing their first three shots of the period. They turned the ball over twice before a layup by Patterson and a jumper by sophomore guard Andrew Hatch finally gave the Tritons some second-half offense. However, the Seawolves showed why they were undefeated in conference play, pushing their lead to 10 with just over five minutes played in the half. The 19 points Sonoma State scored after the break would outweigh the Triton offensive output for the entire half, as the Seawolf lead was never less than nine and reached 17 by the final buzzer.
The Tritons had only one player in double figures on the evening as Patterson continued his impressive freshman season, notching a new career high with 20 points. The CCAA field-goal percentage leader went 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line. Allard also contributed with nine points and three assists, while junior guard Robby Peters added seven points in a team-high 27 minutes off the bench.
Next, the Tritons return home, where they are currently 4-1. UCSD will try to avenge two early season losses, taking on Cal State Los Angeles on Feb. 3 during Spirit Night 2006, and facing Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 4. The Tritons lost to both teams in the final seconds of back-to-back games in early December, part of their season opening nine-game road trip.
