LA JOLLA, Calif. – Senior guard Jordan Wiley scored 15 points to pace four players in double figures in leading the third-ranked Western Oregon University men's basketball to a 67-63 victory over No. 14 UC San Diego on Monday night at RIMAC Arena.
 
The Wolves, now one of four remaining undefeated team in Division II, improved to 10-0 on the season while the Tritons lost for the first time, falling to 7-1.
 
"I thought the players did a good job of understanding what it was going to take for a chance to be successful against a good team," head coach Jim Shaw said. "We had to play, essentially, 10 four-minute games because it was a very even matchup that could have gone either way."
 
Wiley scored 11 of his team-leading 15 points in the second half, and he made the go-ahead bucket in the final minute. An Andy Avgi dribble penetration left Wiley open on the wing; a kick-out pass off the drive found the shooter and Wiley nailed a three-pointer that broke a 61-61 tie with 20 seconds to go.
 
Senior Devon Alexander hit two free throws with nine seconds left and sophomore Tanner Omlid hit one of two from the line to ensure the victory. Alexander scored 12 points and had two of the team's five steals.
 
Western Oregon surrendered an early 12-7 lead over the first four minutes, but responded with an 11-1 rally to earn a lead of five points. WOU pounded the ball inside for nine consecutive points off a pair of Avgi layups and short makes from Alexander and Janvier Alaby. Roth added a pair of free throws to lead 18-13. UCSD retook the lead with a triple, but Roth responded in kind and added a free throw to give the Wolves a 32-30 lead at halftime. WOU shot 36.7 percent (11 of 30) while holding the Tritons to 33.3 percent (9 of 27).
 
The second half saw Western Oregon extend the lead to as many as 11 points, 48-37, at the 13:42 mark. UCSD chipped away with layups on three consecutive possessions and erased the Wolves' lead with a three-point make from Drew Dyer with nine minutes on the clock.
 
WOU responded with a 5-0 spurt after a free-throw area jumper by Alaby and a tough triple from Nichols. With two minutes left in the game, Alexander posted three consecutive points for a 61-58 lead. The Wolves played solid defense on the next UCSD possession, but could not capitalize when Alexander's left-hand layup rolled off the rim. The Tritons drew a shooting foul on a three-point attempt and Dyer made the foul count by sinking the tying charity shots.
 
Dyer and Adam Kile each had 19 points for UC San Diego, who shot 45.8 percent for the game and hit 7 of 20 attempts from behind the arc.
 
The Wolves finished the night 23 of 54 from the floor (42.6 percent) and 6 of 16 (37.5) on three-point shots. WOU had the advantage from the stripe, making 15 of 19 overall and won the battle of points in the paint, 30-24.
 
"They missed a couple of front ends on one-and-ones," Shaw added. "So the team that makes their fouls shots at the end of games has a decided advantage."
 
WOU received double figure scoring from Roth with 11 points, who also added seven rebounds. Leading scorer Andy Avgi was held to a season-low eight points on 4 of 15 shooting, but the reigning GNAC Player of the Year contributed with four rebounds and a team-best four assists.
 
"All eight guys helped us that played," Shaw said. "We shortened the rotation, but everyone did something that helped us tonight."
 
Western Oregon returns home for a non-conference game on Sunday, Dec. 20 against Willamette University beginning at 2 p.m. before taking a holiday break.