Top-ranked Women’s Basketball Team Extends Winning Streak to 18 Games

UCSD held Humboldt State to a season-low 49 points on Saturday night. Courtesy: Jimmy Gekas/Sideline Studios

Daisy Feder scored 20 points to lead four players in double figures as the No. 1 UC San Diego women's basketball team blew by California Collegiate Athletic Association rival Humboldt State, 74-49, on Saturday evening at RIMAC Arena.

The Tritons outscored the Lumberjacks 35-11 over the final 14 and a half minutes of the second half to wrap up their four-game homestand with a bang and remain undefeated on the season. UCSD shot 46 percent from the field in the second stanza and dropped 6-of-10 from behind the three-point line en route to another comfortable victory.

UCSD, which set the program record for consecutive victories with its 73-57 triumph over Sonoma State on Friday, improves to 18-0 overall and 12-0 in CCAA play with the win. The Tritons have now won 21 of their last 22 regular season games dating back to last season.

Humboldt State, which has gotten the better of UCSD lately, falls to 12-4 on the season and 8-4 in the CCAA with the loss. The Lumberjacks had won three of their last four entering Saturday's clash.

Feder followed her career-high 23-point effort in Friday's win over the Seawolves with another outstanding performance on Saturday, finishing 8-of-18 from the field and 3-of-6 from downtown. She also grabbed a career-best nine rebounds and dished out four assists.

Chelsea Carlisle finished with 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Lauren Freidenberg recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 boards. Erin Dautremont added 13 points and six rebounds.

The Tritons shot 45 percent from the field for the game, connecting on 29-of-64 from the field. UCSD was 8-of-18 from behind the arc, a season-high 44%.

While the offense was doing its thing, UCSD's defense was the real story as the Tritons held Humboldt to a season-low 49 points on just 28 percent (19-67) shooting. The Lumberjacks entered the game fourth in the CCAA in scoring offense at 67.6 points per game.

Lisa Petty was the only player to finish in double figures for the visitors, scoring 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Kayla Williams and Whitney Howard scored eight points apiece, while Bree Halsey finished with four points and a game-high 16 rebounds.

UCSD held a 30-25 halftime lead, but Humboldt scored the first five points of the second period to knot the game at 30. The Tritons answered with six of the next eight to take a 38-32 lead with 17 minutes remaining, but the Lumberjacks pulled to within one at 39-38 two and a half minutes later.

It was all UCSD after that as Carlisle hit a three to spark the Tritons' big run. Natalie Luzar and Emily Osga followed with back-to-back baskets as UCSD extended its lead to eight and a Dautremont layup made it 51-40 three minutes later.

The Tritons rattled 16 unanswered points at one point to turn a 53-45 advantage into a commanding 69-45 cushion with five minutes left to play. Feder and Carlisle converted consecutive three-point plays and Luzar hit a three during the stretch.

UCSD cruised home from there, taking its biggest lead at 74-47 on a triple by Feder with 3:27 remaining.

When it was all said and done, the Tritons had held the Lumberjacks to just four points over the final nine minutes of play.

UCSD was just 2-4 in its previous six games against HSU prior to Saturday, with two of those losses coming in the CCAA Tournament and NCAA West Regional at the end of the 2009-10 season.

The Tritons will hit the road next week, traveling to Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday and San Francisco State on Saturday. The Tritons won the matchup with both squads earlier this season.