UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS (5-1, 0-0) @ SAN FRANCISCO STATE GATORS (3-1, 1-0)
Saturday, December 4, 2010 • 7:30 PM SFSU’s Main Gymnasium (2,000) • San Francisco, CA
After picking up a pair of victories at the 4th Annual Notre Dame de Namur Thanksgiving Classic over the weekend, the UC San Diego men’s basketball team will look to keep rolling when they begin California Collegiate Atheltic Association play on the road this week. The Tritons will travel to Seaside to take on Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday night, before squaring off with the Gators at San Francisco State on Saturday. Both contests will tipoff at approximately 7:30 p.m.
FOR THE RECORD
UCSD wrapped up its 2010-11 nonconference slate with an overall record of 5-1 after knocking off host Notre Dame de Namur and Simon Fraser at the NDNU Thanksgiving Classic in Belmont last week. The Tritons have won three straight since losing to Alaska Anchorage on November 14, posting an average margin of victory of 16.3 points per game in those contests. Head coach Chris Carlson’s squad is 1-0 in true road games this season after defeating the Argonauts, 53-42, on their home floor on Friday.
DEFENSE GETS IT DONE IN BELMONT
The Tritons were excellent defensively last weekend, holding both Notre Dame de Namur and Simon Fraser to under 35% shooting in their two wins. UCSD limited NDNU to just 28% (11-39) from the field -- the lowest mark by a Triton opponent this season -- while SFU finished at a 33% (21-64) clip the following night. UCSD was also plus-4 and plus-14 in the rebounding department, respectively, while forcing the Argonauts and Clan into a total of 28 turnovers. For the season, the Tritons are holding their opponents to just 37% shooting from the field, a figure that ranks fourth in the CCAA. UCSD is 5-0 when finishing with more rebounds than the opposition.
SCOUTING THE OTTERS AND GATORS
• Cal State Monterey Bay enters Friday’s matchup with an overall record of 1-1 and a 0-1 conference mark after losing a 78-75 decision to San Francisco State in both team’s CCAA opener on November 21. The Otters defeated Division I foe Cal Poly, 50-47, in San Luis Obispo to open the season on November 18. Sophomore guard Davion Berry is the team’s leading scorer through two games at 18.0 points, while also averaging 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Senior forward Ian Hosford has also had a nice start to the year, averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 points against the Mustangs and Gators. He is shooting 52% from the floor. The Otters, who were picked to finish 10th in the CCAA standings this season, are shooting just 39% in their first two games.
• San Francisco State begins play this week at 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the CCAA following the win over Cal State Monterey Bay. The Gators also took part in the Notre Dame de Namur Thanksgiving Classic this weekend, defeating Simon Fraser 95-50 on Friday and then downing the host Argonauts by a margin of 76-59 on Saturday. Sophomore guard Nefi Perdomo is averaging a team-high 15.3 points on 51% shooting so far this season, while senior guard Phoenix O’Rourke is turning in 11.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. SFSU, which was picked eighth in the league’s coaches poll, will take on Cal State East Bay on Friday, before welcoming UCSD to town on Saturday.
HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH CSUMB, SFSU
UCSD has won six of the 13 previous meetings with Cal State Monterey and holds a 12-9 advantage in the all-time series with San Francisco State. The Tritons split the season series with the Otters in 2009-10, dropping a 66-62 decision at home on January 14 and then recording a 78-74 triumph in Seaside on February 20. UCSD also went 1-1 against the Gators last season, posting a 91-86 double-overtime win over SFSU at RIMAC on January 16, before suffering a 61-50 setback in San Francisco on February 19.
UCSD PROBABLE STARTERS
G - James McCann • Fr., 5-10, 165 - Averaging team-highs of 13.0 points and 4.2 assists in six games. G - Justin Brue • So., 6-4, 205 - Scored in double figures in two of the last three games. G - Casey Ryan • Sr., 6-4, 195 - Tallied season-highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds in win over SFU. F - Ryan Peters • So., 6-3, 200 - UCSD’s second-leading rebounder at 5.7 boards per game.
C - Christian Hatch • Jr., 6-8, 245 - Leads starters, shooting 51% from the field.
RYAN AIR
Senior guard Casey Ryan averaged team-highs of 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds over the weekend, leading UCSD past Notre Dame de Namur and Simon Fraser. He finished with 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting and grabbed five boards in the victory over the Argonauts and then turned in a monster effort against the Clan, tal- lying his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds. He converted 7-of-11 shots from the field and dished out two assists in just 26 minutes. Ryan shot 52% from the field in the two games and enters Friday’s match up with Cal State Monterey Bay averaging 11.7 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds overall.
McCANN CAN
Freshman point guard James McCann has been very impressive in his first six games as a Triton. The La Costa Canyon High School product begins CCAA play averaging team-highs of 13.0 points and 4.2 assists in just under 29 minutes per game. He finished with 10 points and seven assists in the 53-42 win over Notre Dame de Namur on Friday and totaled 12 points and three helpers in the 77-59 triumph over Simon Fraser on Saturday. McCann is shooting 48% from the field this season, scoring in double figures in all six games.
WHEELER AND DEALER
After scoring a total of three points in UCSD’s first three games of the season, junior center Ryan Wheeler has averaged 7.3 points over the last three, shooting 63% (5-8) over that span. He converted 3-of-4 shots from the field and 5-of-6 at the free throw line en route to a career-best 11 points in 15 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s win over the Clan. The Sebastopol, Calif. native is now averaging 4.2 points through six games in 2010-11.
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