The NCAA has an archaic rule that prevents an athletics program transitioning from Division 2 to Division 1 from being eligible to compete in postseason tournaments for four years. It's a shame because UC San Diego is proving to be a team capable of playing in March Madness.
The Tritons beat UC Irvine 92-88 in overtime on Saturday afternoon, pulling into a 1st place tie atop the Big West Conference with the Anteaters with four regular season games to play. Senior forward Bryce Pope hit a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left in regulation to tie it 81-81, then scored four more in overtime to secure the win. Pope finished with a game-high 32 points.
The Tritons also improved to 13-1 at LionTree Arena this year and that one loss came by one point against 19th-ranked San Diego State on a buzzer-beating putback by national player of the year candidate Jaedon LeDee. So, yeah, UCSD is a legitimate program a whole lot earlier than most people would have expected.
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They continue their quest for a conference title on Thursday with a visit to CSU-Bakersfield.
