Because the Big West men’s and women’s tournaments are held concurrently in the 5,567-seat facility that is home to a minor-league hockey team, the top-seeded Tritons were allowed only a 25-minute session Friday morning for an abbreviated shootaround to acclimate to dark backdrop and castle turrets behind one basket.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the UC Irvine Anteaters vs. UC San Diego Tritons NCAAM game to be played on March 15, 2025 on ESPN.

The second-seeded Anteaters fall into a big first-half hole, claw their way back in the second half, but can never get over the hump in a 63-56 loss to the third-seeded Aggies.