SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – In an exciting matchup on Thursday, UC San Diego secured a victory against UC Santa Barbara with a final score of 84-76. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was a standout performer for the Tritons, contributing 22 points to the team’s overall success.

Tait-Jones also made his presence felt on the boards, pulling down six rebounds. Teammate Nordin Kapic added significantly to the score with 19 points, despite having a challenging night shooting from beyond the arc, finishing with just one successful 3-point shot out of nine attempts. Kapic’s perfect performance from the free-throw line, sinking all six attempts, further complemented his scoring. He also matched Tait-Jones in rebounding, grabbing six boards. Hayden Gray rounded out the Tritons’ scoring with 13 points on an efficient 6 of 9 shooting from the field.

On the other side of the court, the Gauchos were led by Stephan Swenson, who showcased his skills with 21 points along with five assists and three steals. His all-around performance kept UCSB competitive against their opponents. Jason Fontenet II also had a strong showing, putting up 17 points and collecting 12 rebounds, marking a notable double-double. Deuce Turner contributed to the score as well, finishing with 14 points to support the team’s efforts.

This matchup marked the beginning of conference play for UC San Diego, improving their record to 7-2 overall and 1-0 within the Big West Conference, while the Gauchos fell to 6-2 and 0-1 in the same conference. The game was a thrilling display of collegiate basketball, highlighted by significant contributions from both teams.