Three thoughts on UC San Diego’s 79-54 win over Cal State Northridge at LionTree Arena on Saturday night:

1. Defense rules

There are many reasons why UC San Diego (17-4, 7-2 Big West) could be headed to the NCAA Tournament this season.

Right at the top is the Tritons’ elite defense.

The Tritons held Cal State Northridge (13-7, 5-4) to a season-low 54 points on Saturday — well below the  Matadors’ Big West-leading average of 80.4 points per game.

It was nothing new for a UCSD team that ranks 16th nationally in defensive efficiency (0.927), tops in the Big West and 11th nationally in points allowed (62.4 per game), third in the conference in opponent field goal percentage (40.8%) and tops in the conference and seventh nationally in scoring margin (17.6).

At one point Saturday night, Tyler McGhie stole the ball and passed ahead to Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones for a fastbreak layup. CSUN coach Andy Newman reacted by leaning back in his chair and covering his face in exasperation.

That’s what the Tritons have been doing to good teams all season.

“We knew we had to shrink the floor on them,” McGhie said. “They’re really athletic. So, sit in the gaps. Make them make skip passes. Get into passing lanes. And then hit them on the glass.”

2. Keep on shooting

McGhie ranks third nationally with 74 made 3-pointers and sixth with 3.52 made 3-pointers per game. So, no, UCSD coach Eric Olen wasn’t sweating the fact that the senior guard entered Saturday’s game having made just 7 of 35 3s over his previous four games.

“Ty knows what to do,” Olen said. “Just shoot the basketball, you know? We want him to shoot it as much as it’s available to us. And we feel great about how that’s gonna work out. He can go 0 for 10 one night and we’ll want him to take 10 the next night.”

Sure enough, the skinny Texan knocked down his first two 3-point attempts Saturday as the Tritons built an early 12-point lead. He finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

“It felt good,” said McGhie, who is shooting 39.8% from 3-point range on the season. “I’ve been in a little slump, I’d say, but it was good tonight. … It’s all in the mind.”

3. Get to the stripe

Tait-Jones, the senior wing in his second season with the Tritons, drew 13 Northridge fouls and went 12 for 13 from the charity stripe on the way to a second consecutive 32-point performance.

Tait-Jones leads the nation in free throws attempted with 186, 12 more than Ketron Shaw of Maryland-Eastern Shore. His 150 made free throws are also first, 13 more than PJ Haggerty of Memphis.

The 6-foot-6 wing does it with a unique style and uncanny body control. His ability to draw contact had the Matadors’ defenders visibly flustered.

“He’s relentless,” Olen said. “He’s always in attack mode. Plays with a lot of physicality. A lot of toughness. He’s smart. He understands matchups and where to create disadvantages. … He was fantastic tonight. He was fantastic all week. To get 32 points on 14 shots is pretty great. He was pretty special.”

Originally Published: January 26, 2025 at 1:48 PM PST