UC San Diego Tritons Defeat CSU Fullerton Titans in Close Matchup

Tritons win 76-73 in a hard-fought Big West Conference battle

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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The UC San Diego Tritons defeated the Cal State Fullerton Titans 76-73 in a close college basketball matchup on Thursday, March 5th. The Tritons, who came in as 3.5-point road favorites, were able to hold off a late Titans comeback attempt to secure the victory.

Why it matters

This win keeps UC San Diego in the hunt for a top seed in the upcoming Big West Conference tournament, while the loss drops Fullerton to 15-16 on the season. The game featured two of the top teams in the conference battling it out in a close, competitive contest.

The details

The Tritons were led by Leo Beath, who scored a team-high 15 points. Emanuel Prospere II added 12 points and a team-high 5 assists. For the Titans, Joshua Ward scored a game-high 18 points, while Bryce Cofield pulled down a team-high 7 rebounds. The game was tight throughout, with neither team leading by more than 6 points at any point. UC San Diego was able to make just enough plays down the stretch to hold on for the victory.

  • The game was played on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
  • Tipoff was at 10:00 PM EST.

The players

UC San Diego Tritons

The UC San Diego Tritons are the athletic teams of the University of California, San Diego. They compete in the Big West Conference at the NCAA Division I level.

Cal State Fullerton Titans

The Cal State Fullerton Titans are the athletic teams of California State University, Fullerton. They also compete in the Big West Conference at the NCAA Division I level.

Leo Beath

A senior guard for the UC San Diego Tritons, leading the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game.

Emanuel Prospere II

A junior point guard for the UC San Diego Tritons, leading the team in assists with 3.3 per game.

Joshua Ward

A senior guard for the Cal State Fullerton Titans, leading the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game.

Bryce Cofield

A junior forward for the Cal State Fullerton Titans, leading the team in rebounding with 4.8 per game.

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What they’re saying

“We knew it was going to be a tough battle against a very good Fullerton team, but our guys really stepped up and made the plays we needed to get the win.”

— Eric Olen, Head Coach, UC San Diego Tritons (UC San Diego Athletics)

“It's a tough loss, but I'm proud of the way our team fought and kept it close against a very talented UC San Diego squad. We'll learn from this and be ready for the conference tournament.”

— Dedrique Taylor, Head Coach, Cal State Fullerton Titans (Cal State Fullerton Athletics)

What’s next

The win moves UC San Diego to 22-9 overall and 12-7 in Big West play, keeping them in contention for a top seed in the conference tournament. Cal State Fullerton falls to 15-16 overall and 10-9 in the Big West. Both teams will wrap up their regular season schedules this weekend before the conference tournament begins next week.

The takeaway

This was a hard-fought, competitive matchup between two of the top teams in the Big West Conference. UC San Diego was able to make the necessary plays down the stretch to hold off a late Fullerton comeback and secure the road victory. The game highlighted the depth and talent in the Big West, as these two programs continue to battle for conference supremacy.