By: Mark Reinhiller, Sports Information Director
Box Score: CPP 59, UC San Diego 49
LA JOLLA – Seniors
Austin Swift and
Dahir Nasser combined for 33 points as Cal Poly Pomona shut down UC San Diego in the second half en route to a 59-49 California Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball game Thursday night.
The Broncos, who have won three straight after losing three straight, improved to 10-5 overall and 8-4 in the CCAA and earned the season sweep over the Tritons for the second straight year.
UCSD dropped to 4-11, 3-9.
Trailing 25-20 at halftime, CPP shut down the conference's leading scorer Jordan Lawley, who entered play averaging 20.2 points. He finished with 11, but was a nonfactor until hitting six of his points in the final 1:05.
Nasser got things started for CPP in the second half when he hit a 3-pointer from the deep right side just 14 seconds in and followed it up with a jumper and CPP led 25-24 with 19:01 left.
The game would be tied two more times and UCSD grabbed its final lead of the game – 30-29 -- on Tyler Acevedo's 3-pointer with 12:41 left.
But CPP outscored the Tritons 13-4 over the next six minutes and the game never got closer than six points down the stretch.
Swift led the Broncos with 19 points and 8-of-8 from the free throw line, and Nasser scored a season-high 14.
The Broncos fired 52.4 percent in the second half on 11-of-21 shooting and were much improved from the free-throw line in the final 20 minutes. They hit 16-of-21 FTs and finished 19-of-29 for the game.
CPP, which entered play ranked second in the NCAA in scoring defense, was outstanding on the defensive end as it allowed just three second-half field goals from UCSD until Jake Tarabilda hit a 3-pointer with 1:25 left, cutting CPP's lead to 49-40.
The Broncos iced the game with eight consecutive free throws – two from Nasser and the last six from Swift in the final 51 seconds.
UCSD shot 32.7 percent from the field (16-of-49) and scored just two 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes.
CPP returns to play Saturday night when it plays at Cal State East Bay. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
