UC San Diego defeats UC Riverside 66-69

UC San Diego Stuns UC Riverside in Thrilling 3-Point Shootout

In a dramatic turn of events, visiting UC San Diego (AWAY) edged host UC Riverside (HOME) 69-66 on Tuesday night at the SRC Arena, capping off an incredible comeback. The Aztecs erased a six-point deficit with just over five minutes remaining to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

The home team took control early, building a 32-26 lead at halftime behind Andrew Henderson's 13 points and Osiris Grady's eight rebounds. However, the visitors refused to back down, employing their potent three-point attack to chip away at the deficit.

Bol Dengdit led UC San Diego with 17 points on 50% shooting from the field, including just one make from beyond the arc, but his team needed more firepower to mount a comeback. That's where Emanuel Prospere II came in, chipping in eight points and four assists off the bench. Tom Beattie added 11 rebounds and 11 points for UC San Diego.

UC Riverside put up strong numbers throughout, but their inability to convert on crucial three-point attempts proved costly down the stretch. Henderson finished with a team-high 27 points, while Grady snagged six rebounds. BJ Kolly provided four assists and five rebounds off the bench.

The decisive factor in this thrilling matchup was UC San Diego's ability to contain UC Riverside's outside shooting. The Aztecs allowed just one three-pointer all game from their opponents, limiting the home team's 3PT FG percentage to a mere 28%. Conversely, UC San Diego took advantage of this trend with a respectable but not spectacular 22% conversion rate.

This victory marks an important win for UC San Diego as they continue their journey through conference play.