With breakthrough win, UC San Diego defeats Utah State on the road – San Diego Union-Tribune

UC San Diego entered Tuesday night against undefeated Utah State as 8 1/2-point underdogs.

A little more than two hours later, the Tritons (10-2) stood on the court with a stunned, silent Dee Glen Spectrum celebrating a 75-73 victory, one of the largest in program history.

They earned the win with 26 points from guard Tyler McGhie, who put the Tritons ahead late with a personal 8-0 rundown, and 20 points from guard Anawania Tait-Jones, who scored 10 of 12 from the free throw line and a defense that forced 10 turnovers in the second half. UCSD held the Aggies (10-1) to 26.7% shooting in the second half.

In a game that featured eight lead changes and in which Utah State held the lead for 24:55 minutes, the Tritons took the lead when McGhie made two three-pointers and then a runner in the paint over a crucial minute and 26 seconds.

As the Tritons held on to a late lead, Chris Howell (Torrey Pines High School), Hayden Gray (Sante Fe Christian) and McGhie each hit crucial free throws.

The Tritons trailed 39-32 at halftime, but opened the second with a quick 6-0 push and never let Utah State pull away.

UCSD shot 46.8% from the field, made 8 of 27 from 3-point range and overcame a season-high 18 turnovers – many of which were caused by an aggressive Utah State matchup zone defense.

The Tritons made 23 of 27 from the free throw line and 18 of 21 in the second half. They finished the game with a 36-34 rebounding advantage over the bigger Aggies.

The Aggies entered as one of five remaining undefeated teams in the country, but were outscored by the Tritons, whose eight-game winning streak is the longest since the program’s jump to Division I in 2021.

Next up: UCSD will move to USD (3-8) on Saturday at 6 p.m.