Tritons Snap Anteaters’ Home Winning Streak, Move Into Tie for First in Big West

In a battle for first place in the Big West conference, UC San Diego visited UC Irvine Saturday in a matchup that featured two teams with a combined 39-7 record overall. The winner would take a huge step forward in its efforts to secure the top seed in the conference. 

That winner was UC San Diego, and it was in emphatic fashion, as the Tritons got revenge on the Anteaters and won convincingly 85-67. The win ended the Anteaters 22-game home winning streak, which was the longest active streak in Division I basketball. 

The first half was much more tightly contested than the second. The Tritons held a small lead for the majority of the first 20 minutes, as both defenses took center stage. Foul trouble for two Triton starters Tyler McGhie and Nordin Kapic also played a factor, as both sat for a long stretch to close out the half, which ended with a 32-30 UC San Diego lead.

To say the offense picked up in the second half would be an understatement. The Anteaters battled to tie the game at 46 with 13 minutes left, but after that it was all Tritons.

UC San Diego hit 13 threes in the second half (16 total) to further stretch its lead. A 16-4 run over the span of three minutes effectively put the game out of reach for UC Irvine.

Five different Tritons nailed multiple three-pointers in the second half, highlighted by three of them from Kapic. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones led the team in scoring once again, albeit on an off-shooting night, with 22 points on 6-17 from the field.

The now-broken 22-game home win streak for UC Irvine started after a loss in Feb. 2023 to these same Tritons. 

UC San Diego and UC Irvine now both sit with identical records at 20-4 overall and 10-2 in conference. 

Both teams have until Thursday before they take the court again. UC San Diego will remain on the road and play Cal State Bakersfield, while UC Irvine stays at home and will host UC Santa Barbara.