ROHNERT PARK -- Saturday night proved to be a night of strong defense by both teams, but the Sonoma State men's basketball team would fall on the losing end of a narrow 50-46 score to visiting UC San Diego at The Wolves' Den in Rohnert Park.  The Seawolves fall to 11-11 overall and 8-10 in the CCAA while the Tritons are now 13-9 (11-7 CCAA).
 
The defenses of both squads were stifling all night long, especially in the opening period.  In fact, the 35 combined points scored in the half were the least amount of combined points scored in any half in a game that Sonoma State is involved in since Jan. 19, 2003 when SSU and Cal State L.A. combined for just 31 points in the first half – the Seawolves led 21-10 going into halftime that night.  On Saturday night, it was just a one-point margin with Sonoma State leading 18-17.
 
It was a mix of tough defense and poor shooting to account for the low point total, the Seawolves and Tritons combined to shoot just 26 percent before the halftime break.  The teams would pick it up in the second half, as SSU finished to shoot 43.2 percent from the floor on 19 of 44 while holding UCSD to 35.7 percent (15 of 42).
 
No team lead by more than six points at any point in the game, and it was SSU to hold the six-point advantage – the largest of the night – after a three pointer by Mike Harris put the Seawolves up 32-26 with 11:14 to play in regulation.  The Tritons chipped away and in the final nine minutes, the game featured three ties and three lead changes, but back-to-back three pointers by UCSD's Grant Jackson and Drew Dyer in the final minute put the visitors up by four and they would hold on in the end for the victory.
 
Harris led the Seawolves with 10 points while Andy Mitchell and Nathan Molony-Benjamin tied for a game-high eight rebounds.
 
UC San Diego's Adam Klie led all scorers with 11 points.
 
Sonoma State returns to the court on Friday, hosting Chico State at 7:30 pm in The Wolves' Den.