UCSD’s Season Ends with 77-75 Loss to Chicago State at Ro Invitational

In a game Saturday that featured 10 ties and 15 lead changes, UC San Diego erased a nine-point second-half deficit, but Chicago State hung on for a 77-75 victory.

Trailing by two in the final seconds, the Tritons missed a contested three-pointer and were unable to get a clean look as time expired in the first-round matchup at the 2024 Ro College Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla.
 
The loss ends the season for UCSD (21-12 ) while Chicago State (13-18) moves on to the Ro quarterfinals Monday.

“I’m obviously disappointed with the outcome today, but I’m proud of our team and the season that they had,” said UC San Diego head coach Eric Olen.
 
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was one of three Tritons in double-figures, with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Tyler McGhie also scored 17. Bryce Pope drained four three-pointers and scored 16. Hayden Gray added eight points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Chicago State’s Wesley Cardet led all scorers with 30 points.
 
The entire first half was a tightly contested after the Tritons took an early lead as Tait-Jones banked in a three as the shot clock expired.

UCSD built the largest lead of the half for either team, four, very early when Pope sank the first of two threes in the half, giving the Tritons a 9-5 advantage. Yet the Cougars, despite not having played in over a month, shot 50%, and the game was tied at 38 at the half.

In the second half, Chicago State built a 53-44 lead with 15:37 to play. The Tritons responded and held the Cougars scoreless for more than five minutes as UCSD climbed back to erase the deficit.

Francis Nwaokorie tied it up at 55 on a free throw with 8:52 remaining. UC San Diego regained the lead a minute later with a strong put back from Emmanuel Tshimanga. A 13-2 run over an eight-minute stretch gave the Tritons a 57-55 advantage.
 
But Chicago State responded, thanks in part to a pair of threes from Jahsean Corbett, holding on to the lead to advance.