UC San Diego didn’t make it complicated Saturday. The Tritons got the win they needed, holding off UC Riverside 72-66 on Feb. 15, 2026, to move to 18-9 on the season.
For UC Riverside, the loss was another tough entry in a spiraling stretch. The Highlanders fell to 8-19, extending a run of poor form coming in and leaving little margin for error as the calendar turns deeper into February.
What happened
In a game without quarter-by-quarter scoring detail available, the story is clear in the final margin: UC San Diego controlled enough of the 40 minutes to keep UC Riverside from flipping the script. The Tritons’ 72 points were enough to survive a competitive 66-point showing from the Highlanders, with UCSD consistently answering any threat rather than allowing the game to swing fully.
Turning point
The decisive stretch was UC San Diego’s ability to protect the lead late. In a six-point game, every empty possession matters; UCSD did enough on both ends to prevent UC Riverside from generating the run that would have forced a one-possession finish.
What it means going forward
For UC San Diego, this was the type of result good teams bank: a conference-adjacent grind where style points don’t matter, only the win. At 18-9, the Tritons continue to build momentum off a recent up-and-down patch, and closing out games like this is the currency of March résumés.
For UC Riverside, the path is about stabilizing. At 8-19, the Highlanders need to turn competitive stretches into complete games, because the difference between “in it” and “winning it” is exactly what showed up on the scoreboard.
Game details
League: NCAA
Season: 2025-26
Date: Feb. 15, 2026
Venue: TBD
Final: UC San Diego 72, UC Riverside 66