UC San Diego beats Cal 80-67 for first win over Pac-12 team
BERKELEY, Calif. -- — Toni Rocak scored a career-high 27 points, Bryce Pope scored 14 of his 18 in the second half and UC San Diego beat California 80-67 on Tuesday for the Tritons' first win over a Pac-12 Conference opponent.
UCSD (1-0), which began its transition to Division I in 2020, lost its first 12 games against Pac-12 teams.
Pope hit two 3-pointers in a 9-2 spurt and the Tritons had their first lead (since 2-0) when Francis Nwaokorie hit two free throws to make it 45-43 with 15 minutes to play. Cal recaptured the lead when Jordan Shepherd hit a 3 about two minutes later, but Rocak scored six points in an 11-0 run that gave UC San Diego a 58-48 lead midway through the second half. The Golden Bears trailed by at least eight points the rest of the way.
Shepherd, a graduate transfer from UNC Charlotte, tied his career high with 27 points for Cal (0-1). Andre Kelly had 17 points and 12 rebounds.
UCSD trailed by four at halftime but caught fire in the second half, making 12 of 18 from the field, 7 of 10 from 3-point range and 16 of 20 from the free-throw line.
Cal, which lost its leading scorer from last season when Matt Bradley transferred to San Diego State in April, struggled to score, shooting just 40% (24 of 60) overall, 5 of 18 from behind the arc and 58.3% (14 of 24) from the foul line.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Michael Greenstein
- D.G. Nelson
- Courtney Holmes
2024-25 Big West Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Irvine | 7-0 | - | 17-2 |
| UC San Diego | 5-2 | 2 | 15-4 |
| UC Davis | 5-3 | 2.5 | 11-8 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 4-3 | 3 | 12-6 |
| Cal State Northridge | 4-3 | 3 | 12-6 |
| Hawai'i | 4-3 | 3 | 12-6 |
| UC Riverside | 4-3 | 3 | 11-8 |
| Cal State Bakersfield | 3-4 | 4 | 9-10 |
| Long Beach State | 3-4 | 4 | 7-12 |
| Cal State Fullerton | 1-7 | 6.5 | 6-14 |
| Cal Poly | 0-8 | 7.5 | 6-14 |
2024-25 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 8-0 | - | 16-2 |
| Clemson | 8-1 | 0.5 | 16-4 |
| Louisville | 8-1 | 0.5 | 15-5 |
| Wake Forest | 7-1 | 1 | 15-4 |
| SMU | 5-3 | 3 | 14-5 |
| Stanford | 5-3 | 3 | 13-6 |
| North Carolina | 5-3 | 3 | 12-8 |
| Florida State | 4-4 | 4 | 13-6 |
| Pittsburgh | 3-4 | 4.5 | 12-6 |
| California | 3-5 | 5 | 10-9 |
| Syracuse | 3-5 | 5 | 9-10 |
| Virginia Tech | 3-5 | 5 | 8-11 |
| Georgia Tech | 3-6 | 5.5 | 9-11 |
| NC State | 2-5 | 5.5 | 9-9 |
| Notre Dame | 2-5 | 5.5 | 8-10 |
| Virginia | 2-6 | 6 | 9-10 |
| Boston College | 1-7 | 7 | 9-10 |
| Miami | 0-8 | 8 | 4-15 |
Men's College Basketball News