Last night, UC San Diego had a prime opportunity to tie the game. However, its season came to a devastating end as Tyler McGhie missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer that would have sent the game to overtime, sealing Michigan’s 68-65 win and advancement to the next round.
While the team could not advance to the second round — largely due to a poor first half of shooting from deep — the Tritons deserve their flowers.
A mainstay in the top 100 in categories such as scoring defense, scoring offense, 3-point percentage, turnovers per game and scoring margin, the team played an exciting brand of basketball all season.
The senior-laden team, coached by two-time Big West Coach of the Year Eric Olen, finished its season at 30-5 (18-2 conference) and featured several key scorers.
Leading the way offensively was Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, the Big West Player of the Year, alongside sharpshooters McGhie (37.7% from 3-point range) and Hayden Gray (Big West Defensive Player of the Year, 41.8% from deep). The Tritons were a force to be reckoned with.
Key contributors Nordin Kapic, Justin Rochelin and Chris Howell, who provided additional offensive and defensive depth, complimented the core. Together, they helped UC San Diego turn heads this season.
This Tritons team will be remembered for securing the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in its first year of eligibility.
More importantly, when faced with the pressure of winning the Big West Tournament — or potentially missing the field despite a NET ranking in the 30s and wins on the road against UC Irvine and Utah State — UC San Diego locked up the automatic bid to punch its ticket to the Big Dance.
Was it the result the team wanted? No. However, the Tritons have every reason to hold their heads high. Olen, in particular, deserves recognition for his coaching, which could position him for a move to another program in the future if he chooses.
It’s wild to think that if UC San Diego lost to UC Irvine, we might never have seen this team in the NCAA tournament at all.
