UCSD CLAIMS 4TH STRAIGHT CROWN

It wasn’t easy, but the fourth-ranked (Division II) UC San Diego men’s basketball team captured the CCAA tournament championship for the fourth consecutive season with a 76-62 win over Cal Poly Pomona at UCSD’S RIMAC Arena on Saturday evening.

One night after squeaking out an 86-82 semifinal win over Cal State East Bay on the strength of redshirt sophomore guard Tyrell Roberts’ 45 points, the No. 1-seeded Tritons rode a more balanced effort as Roberts (14 points) was one of five players to score in double figures in beating the pesky No. 2 seed Broncos for the third time this season.

UCSD, 30-1 and winners of 22 straight games, also beat Cal Poly Pomona in the previous two CCAA championship games.

Roberts, who was named regular season CCAA MVP and tournament MVP, missed all five shots from the field and was held scoreless in the first half.

Then, with the Tritons leading 34-28 coming out of the locker room, the 5-foot-11 Sacramento native got cooking. He drained a trio of 3pointers to spark an 11-2 run and from there UCSD was never really in danger. What changed? “Nothing really,” Roberts said. “They just started falling. I think the first one was contested really well but when I saw it go down, it was like,

‘OK.’ From there we moved the ball really well and made shots.”

UCSD shot 46.3 percent and went 11 of 34 from 3 but forced 19 turnovers and converted those miscues into 25 points.

Christian Oshita (13 points), Marek Sullivan (12 points), Chris Hansen (10 points) and Gabe Hadley (12) all came up with big shots to help snuff out potential runs.

William Christmas (Oceanside) led the Broncos with 16 points.

The 64-team NCAA D-II tournament field will be announced tonight, and the Tritons figure to be the No. 1 seed and host for the West Region.

Women’s final

UCSD 73, Cal State San Marcos 62: The UCSD women’s team avenged a pair of regular-season losses to Cal State San Marcos and captured the CCAA tournament title on its home floor over the top-seeded Cougars. The Tritons (25-5) never trailed and rode 27 points from Julia Macabuhay to capture their second straight conference tournament title. San Marcos (25-5) was paced by Dynnah Buckner’s 15 points. Both teams will likely be included in the West Region when the Division II tournament field of 64 is announced today.