SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Interstat) — UC San Diego held off a late rally to defeat UC Santa Barbara 52-49 in a women’s basketball game Thursday night at Thunderdome.

The Tritons led by as many as 12 in the third quarter before the Gauchos’ final-period push, keyed by Chauncey Andersen’s 17 points, fell short. UC San Diego’s defense was pivotal, forcing a decisive scoring drought and holding UC Santa Barbara to just six points in the third quarter. Andersen led all scorers for the Gauchos. Dymonique Maxie paced a balanced Tritons attack with 11 points.

UC San Diego improved to 14-6 overall. UC Santa Barbara dropped to 15-4. An announced crowd of 657 attended the Big West Conference game.