Rising to the occasion: How communities shine in the face of disaster

• March 2, 2025

In the heart of Los Angeles County, as wildfires ravaged neighborhoods and displaced thousands, stories of resilience and unity emerged, showcasing the indomitable human spirit.

One such story is that of Chef Daniel Shemtob. After losing his dream home in the Palisades fire, he reportedly channeled his grief into action. Using his food truck, Shemtob prepared and delivered meals to first responders and evacuees, embodying the essence of community support.

His story reminds us that even in the face of personal loss, we have the power to rise above and help others.

Disasters like wildfires, floods or earthquakes test our strength and adaptability. But they also reveal something extraordinary about humanity: our capacity to come together, support each other, and build hope when it’s needed most.

Let’s explore what drives us to rise to the occasion during crises and how we can prepare to be better neighbors and allies in the face of future challenges.

Rising to the occasion

Why do some people instinctively step forward during disasters, while others might hesitate? Research shows that humans possess an innate altruism—a natural inclination to help others, particularly when facing a shared challenge. This instinct often kicks in during times of crisis when empathy and cooperation are most needed.

Adrenaline plays a role, too. In high-stress situations, our bodies produce chemicals that heighten awareness and drive action. Combined with a sense of purpose, this surge can empower ordinary people to perform extraordinary acts, from rescuing neighbors to organizing relief efforts.

Moreover, kindness is contagious. Psychologists call it “social contagion”—when witnessing someone else’s bravery or generosity inspires us to do the same. It’s a ripple effect that transforms individual acts into a community-wide movement of support.

Community heroism

The recent Los Angeles wildfires offer countless examples of people rising to the occasion. In Altadena, as the Eaton Fire advanced, residents banded together, forming impromptu brigades to evacuate families and protect homes. Gail, a local resident, recalled how strangers she had never met helped save her property by dousing it with water. “I don’t know who all these guys are helping to save my house, but I’m very grateful,” she said.

Similarly, the LA County Community Fire Brigade, a group of trained volunteers, worked alongside firefighters during the Franklin Fire. Their efforts were publicly praised by Malibu’s mayor, highlighting how community involvement can complement official disaster response teams.

These stories underscore a powerful truth: heroism doesn’t require special training or resources—just a willingness to help.

Be a good neighbor: Building a resilient community begins long before disaster strikes. By fostering strong connections and preparing together, neighbors can be ready to support one another when challenges arise. Here’s how:

Before a disaster

—Host preparedness workshops: Organize neighborhood events featuring local experts or first responders who can teach practical skills, such as using fire extinguishers or creating evacuation plans.

—Emergency supply sharing: Start a shared resource list within your community, identifying who can contribute items like first-aid kits, flashlights, or portable chargers.

—Practice drills: Simulate potential scenarios like fire evacuations or earthquake safety drills to ensure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities.

During a disaster

—Coordinate transportation: Check in with neighbors, especially the elderly or disabled, who may need assistance evacuating. Arrange carpools or help transport pets.

—Create a communication hub: Establish a group chat or physical meeting spot where neighbors can share updates, needs, and resources in real time.

—Support pets: Identify pet-friendly shelters and ensure neighbors with animals have access to emergency pet supplies or transport options.

After a disaster

—Organize cleanups: Rally neighbors to clear debris or rebuild damaged areas together, turning recovery efforts into a collective mission.

—Offer emotional support: Trauma often lingers long after the physical damage is addressed. Be available to listen to neighbors’ experiences or help connect them with counseling resources.

—Coordinate donation drives: Collect and distribute items like clothing, food, or household supplies to those in need. Include detailed labels and lists to streamline distribution.

By focusing on these practical steps, neighbors can transform moments of crisis into opportunities for connection and resilience.

Culture of kindness: Creating a community that naturally rises to the occasion requires a commitment to everyday acts of kindness and mutual support. These efforts, while small on their own, can have a profound impact over time.

Small acts, big impact: Sometimes, it’s the simplest gestures that mean the most. Helping an elderly neighbor carry groceries, shoveling snow for someone who’s unwell, or leaving a kind note for someone experiencing hardship can foster a culture of care. These small actions, repeated over time, lay the groundwork for larger acts of heroism when crises arise.

Encourage volunteerism: Regular involvement in community service builds stronger networks and nurtures skills that can be invaluable in emergencies. Consider joining local organizations, such as food banks, shelters, or environmental groups. Share stories of fulfillment and connection to inspire others to get involved.

Sharing positive stories: The stories we tell shape our communities. Use neighborhood newsletters, social media, or community meetings to celebrate acts of kindness and recognize local heroes. Sharing these narratives not only inspires others but also reinforces a collective identity of care and responsibility.

For example, during the recent fires, a viral story about firefighters saving a group of stranded pets led to an outpouring of donations for animal shelters. Highlighting such stories can create momentum for greater community action.

The Los Angeles wildfires have shown us that even in the most challenging times, we are capable of extraordinary acts of courage, kindness, and unity. By understanding what drives people to rise to the occasion and by proactively fostering connections and preparedness, we can strengthen our communities against future challenges.

Disasters will come and go, but the bonds we build now will define how we face them. Let us commit to being good neighbors every day—not just in moments of crisis—so that when the unexpected happens, we are ready to stand together. After all, humanity’s greatest strength lies in its collective spirit.

Patti Cotton is a thought partner to CEOs and their teams to help manage complexity and change.  Reach her via email at [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

Five books we can’t wait to read in March

• March 2, 2025

By Chris Hewitt, The Minnesota Star Tribune

Is it getting sleuthy in here?

There are a lot of mysteries on the way in March. There’s also the return of two fictional women we’d all like to have on our side if we were in the vicinity of a murder: Minnesota’s Cash Blackbear and San Francisco’s Vera Wong.

As these five much-anticipated titles reveal, March also seems to be a good month for taking new looks at classic tales of twisted romance:

Broken Fields, Marcie R. Rendon

The fourth in the Minneapolis writer’s mystery series featuring Ojibwe sleuth Cash Blackbear takes place, as usual, in the 1970s. This time, Cash investigates the murder of a farmer who was also her employer. She’s Dr. Watsoned by a child who may have witnessed the crime but has been too traumatized to speak ever since. A current Minnesota Book Awards finalist for last fall’s “Where They Last Saw Her,” Rendon is an enrolled member of the White Earth Nation. March 4

Broken Country, Clare Leslie Hall

An American debut by an English writer I’d never heard of until recently doesn’t scream “can’t wait to read” but it’s inspired by one of my all-time top 10 movies, “The Go-Between.” That classic is probably best known for the line that begins both it and the excellent movie version, “The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.” Like “The Go-Between,” “Broken Country” is about a boy named Leo who knows more than he should about a forbidden romance. And, like “The Go-Between,” it’s set in an English countryside that is not as placid as it seems. March 4

Chloe, Connie Briscoe

This one had me at “‘Rebecca,’ but make her Black.” Angel is working as a private chef for a family in an exclusive Black enclave on Martha’s Vineyard when a visiting billionaire falls for her. But he’s mourning the death of his wife, Rebecca — er, Chloe — and anyone who has read Daphne du Maurier’s Gothic “Rebecca” knows things will be much more complicated than they seem. Briscoe also includes a creepy housekeeper, named Ida instead of Mrs. Danvers, and it will be fun to see how she deals with the fact that most readers already know the devious “Rebecca” twist. The “Chloe” subtitle, “A Novel of Secrets and Lies,” offers a few clues. March 11

The Mesopotamian Riddle, Joshua Hammer

The subtitle lays out the territory: “An Archaeologist, a Soldier, a Clergyman, and the Race to Decipher the World’s Oldest Writing.” That word “race,” in particular, suggests there may be an Indiana Jones element to Hammer’s nonfiction, as does “rollicking,” which pops up in the book’s press materials. Hammer previously demonstrated a knack for uncovering the fun in what could be academic territory with his bestselling “The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu.” March 18

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man), Jesse Q. Sutanto

Sutanto’s follow-up to mystery-com “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” again features the 60-something San Francisco sleuth who thinks she knows everything. Many of the characters from the Edgar Award-winning “Murderers” pop up again in “Snooping,” in which amateur detective Vera tries to get to the bottom of the death of a social media influencer. Speaking of snooping, Vera stumbles upon the crime when she pokes into the briefcase of a cop who is dating her son, a match Vera arranged. Of course. March 25

©2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

Vaccination rates are declining. They might get worse as states relax rules

• March 2, 2025

By Shalina Chatlani, Stateline.org

More states are loosening vaccine mandates, scaling back vaccine promotion efforts and taking other steps likely to lower vaccination rates — even as a major measles outbreak spreads in Texas.

Meanwhile, public health experts worry that the confirmation of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services could add fuel to such efforts, leading to the resurgence of long-tamed infectious diseases. Kennedy has made numerous baseless or false claims about vaccines, including linking them to autism and cancer and saying there is “poison” in the coronavirus vaccine.

This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which Kennedy now oversees, canceled the upcoming meeting of a scientific panel that was slated to discuss next year’s flu vaccines. Also this week, an unvaccinated child died of measles in Texas— the country’s first measles death in a decade. The outbreak, which has spilled into neighboring New Mexico, has now grown to more than 130 cases.

Already, vaccination rates are lower than they were before the pandemic. The COVID-19 vaccines saved millions of lives, but many Americans bristled at vaccine mandates, and disinformation and rapidly evolving public health advice undermined many people’s trust in scientific authorities.

Changing attitudes have had an impact: Vaccination rates among children born in 2020 and 2021 declined by between 1.3 and 7.8 percentage points for recommended shots, compared with children born in 2018 and 2019, according to a September report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The anti-vaccination trend is “the antithesis of public health,” Dr. Scott Rivkees, a pediatric endocrinologist who served as Florida’s surgeon general and health secretary from 2019 to 2021, told Stateline.

“The role of people in departments of health and the role of people in health care and medicine is to promote health and make sure the public is safe,” Rivkees told Stateline. “There’s such a rich history of legal precedent, such a rich history of public health precedent, saying that society benefits by having individuals vaccinated.”

In all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, children must receive certain vaccines to attend school. Every state offers an exemption for children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Thirty states plus the district allow families to skip the vaccinations for religious reasons, 13 states grant exemptions for religious or personal reasons, and two states — Louisiana and Minnesota — don’t require people to specify whether their objection is religious or personal.

Five states — California, Connecticut, Maine, New York and West Virginia — don’t allow nonmedical exemptions.

Republican officials in more than a dozen states have introduced legislation to loosen vaccine rules or otherwise reduce their use.

Legislation in Arizona would make it easier to claim a school exemption, while GOP-sponsored bills in Connecticut, Minnesota, New York and Oregon would limit or prohibit vaccine mandates for adults.

In Idaho, a Senate panel last week debated a bill that would ban mRNA vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, for a decade. Montana and Mississippi lawmakers considered but defeated similar proposals. And in West Virginia — one of the five states that currently does not allow nonmedical exemptions to school vaccine requirements — lawmakers are advancing a bill that would allow religious and philosophical objections.

“Public health will always, to some extent, involve politics, because it requires resources,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Offit serves on the FDA panel that was supposed to discuss next year’s flu vaccines.

“But it doesn’t have to be partisan, which is what has happened.”

A shift in Louisiana

Earlier this month, Dr. Ralph Abraham, Louisiana’s first-ever surgeon general, sent a memo to staff at the Louisiana Department of Health saying they should no longer recommend that Louisianans get “any and all vaccines.” The memo also said the agency will “no longer promote mass vaccination.” Instead, Abraham said, health workers should encourage residents to discuss the risks and benefits of vaccines with their doctors.

The memo puts an end to the Louisiana health department’s robust history of promoting vaccinations through local public health departments, community health fairs and media campaigns.

“Vaccines should be treated with nuance, recognizing differences between seasonal vaccines and childhood immunizations, which are an important part of providing immunity to our children. … Getting vaccinated, like any other health procedure, is an individual’s personal choice,” the memo states.

The agency did not respond to multiple requests for comment via email and phone call. But in a letter posted to the department’s website earlier this month, Abraham wrote that the state had made several missteps during the pandemic, including: promoting “inaccurate and inconsistent guidance on masking, poor decisions to close schools, unjustifiable mandates on civil liberties, and false claims regarding natural immunity.”

Abraham wrote that vaccinations can be good for some, but can be harmful for others, and that for decades public health has been driven by an ideology that “the sacrifice of a few is acceptable and necessary for the ‘greater good.’”

“We should reject this utilitarian approach and restore medical decision-making to its proper place: between doctors and patients,” he wrote.

Louisiana Republican lawmakers have embraced this sentiment, saying that after the COVID-19 pandemic, they want to see less government involvement in vaccinations.

“I’m pleased that Dr. Abraham has taken this approach,” said Republican state Rep. Kathy Edmonston, who last year authored laws prohibiting Louisiana schools from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations and mandating that they provide exemption information to parents. “I’m not against vaccinations. He’s not against vaccinations. I’m for people being able to make up their own mind.”

Jill Hines, co-director of Health Freedom Louisiana, a group that opposes vaccine mandates, dismissed the significance of ending mass vaccination campaigns, because “everybody should have a primary care physician if they want one, and nobody is really denied access to a vaccine.”

But Kimberly Hood, former assistant secretary of the Louisiana Office of Public Health, noted that the state is largely rural, and many residents don’t have easy access to a health care provider.

“Failing to promote vaccination may not sound like a huge deal, but it actually invalidates what we in public health have seen and learned for many, many years, which is that you have to make it easy, affordable, accessible,” Hood told Stateline.

“It’s not just stepping away from vaccination; we’re stepping away from our kind of obligation together, what it means to live together in a society.”

Staying the course in Mississippi

But in neighboring Mississippi, which is also Republican-dominated, GOP leaders are staying the course — at least so far. More than two dozen anti-vaccine bills have died in the Mississippi legislature in the past two years, including this year’s proposed ban on mRNA vaccines.

The state struggled with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy during the pandemic, and in 2022 Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law a measure banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

But for years, Mississippi maintained one of the highest childhood vaccination rates in the nation. The state slipped from first to third between 2023 and 2024, after a federal judge ruled that the state must allow religious exemptions. Its current childhood vaccination rate is 97.5%, well above the 91% national average but lower than the 99.3% rate it had in 2019.

“Our law is still in effect, and if you don’t have a medical or religious exemption, then you must be fully vaccinated to attend school or go to day care in Mississippi,” said Dr. Daniel Edney, Mississippi’s state health officer. “The science is clear and in Mississippi we stand on the science.”

Edney said he hasn’t faced any political pressure to reverse course. Unlike in Louisiana, where Republican Gov. Jeff Landry tapped Abraham — a former three-term Republican congressman who co-chaired his transition committee — as surgeon general, Edney was selected by the 11-member Mississippi State Board of Health. The governor chooses the members of that panel, but they serve staggered four-year terms.

“I have zero pressure from the governor or legislative leadership regarding our approach to vaccines,” Edney told Stateline. “We’re not focused on politics. We don’t blow in the wind based on what administration is in power.”

©2025 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

Sage Hill boys basketball can’t keep up with Knight in Division 3AA title game

• March 2, 2025

HUNTINGTON BEACH — The Sage Hill boys basketball team battled and clawed its way into the CIF-SS Division 3AA final by coming out on top in close games throughout the playoffs.

But in the Division 3AA championship Saturday against Knight, the Lightning couldn’t match the Hawks’ outside shooting efficiency and committed costly turnovers.

In a contest that was close through halftime, the Hawks pulled away in the third quarter and cruised on a to a 64-43 victory in the Division 3AA final at Edison High School.

The division title is the first for Knight (26-5). The school opened in 2003 with Tom Hegre as the coach the entire time.

Sage Hill (18-10) was making its second trip to a CIF-SS final in the past three seasons.

“I think for us, we didn’t do what we were supposed to do,” Sage Hill coach D’Cean Bryant said. “Earlier on, when we were locked in and we were staying level with the ball, we were fine. I think when we started looking at the ball too much, they kind of drove the gaps. Instead of just being in the gap and making sure that they drive it right there.”

Knight took advantage of Sage Hills’ missed shots, scoring 18 points on fast breaks.

The Lightning also committed 17 turnovers and the Hawks made them pay, converting those turnovers into 27 points.

Long range shots weren’t falling for the Hawks early on, but as the contest progressed, the shots from behind the arc began falling.

Knight hit eight 3-pointers, including four from Amar Larane, who led all players with 26 points.

James Karahalios led the Lightning with 16 points and teammate Jackson Cryst, who also stars for the Sage Hill volleyball team, finished with nine.

Cryst was one of the players Knight was focused on containing, Hegre said.

“The guy’s an incredible athlete,” Hegre said. “We knew he was going to get his. I think we did a better job in the second half. We just started switching. What’s the difference if we have 6-1 or 5-11 on him?”

Bryant said the game plan in preparing for Knight was to keep things simple and not trying to do much different than what got them to the finals.

“And we just kept telling them, deal with the day,” the coach said. “Deal with Monday. Deal with Tuesday. Don’t worry about Saturday. We know we wanted to get back to our fundamentals but hats off to (the Hawks).”

The Hawks and Lightning both advance to the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs that begin Tuesday.

“Right now, we’ll go home, look at film and see where we went wrong,” Bryant said, “and then we’ll come back on Monday and practice and see what it looks like. And then Tuesday, we don’t know who we play yet. Once we get there, we get there. We’ve got to deal with tonight first.”

​ Orange County Register 

El Toro girls basketball delivers late to beat Cantwell-Sacred Heart for Division 3A title

• March 2, 2025

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HUNTINGTON BEACH — El Toro guard Lenzy Turner grabbed a long rebound, led the fastbreak and made two passes in the frontcourt offense before Mia Cubacub quickly returned the ball to her with the CIF-SS Division 3A girls basketball final tied late in the fourth quarter.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Turner said later.

The sophomore’s 3-point attempt from the wing served as the confirmation as it splashed through the net for the go-ahead basket with 1:41 left.

El Toro wasn’t done. About 30 seconds later, Bridget Boyd sank a 3-pointer from the opposite wing as the Chargers united in the final two minutes to beat Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary 52-48 at Edison High for their first section title in girls basketball.

El Toro’s clutch performance came from an experienced and determined squad featuring seniors Boyd, point guard Mariana Mina and post Camryn Bradshaw. The previous three seasons, the Chargers (18-11) lost in the first round of the playoffs.

“When they walked in the door (as a freshman class), there was something special about that group,” eighth-year El Toro coach Pat Nunez said of the trio. “Every year, we got better and better. They just did amazing.”

Turner struggled with her shot at times but said she felt confident before sinking her 3-pointer with the score knotted 46-46.

“I wasn’t really hitting shots for real,” she said, “but I knew eventually it was going to fall.”

Boyd sizzled from the floor. She made 5 of 6 field goals, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, en route to a team-high 14 points. “We knew it was going to be a competitive game and I just had to keep shooting,” said Boyd, who helped El Toro finish 7 of 18 from beyond the arc.

Bradshaw scored four of her 11 points in the fourth quarter and had 13 rebounds. Mina also scored 11 points and added five assists. Turner collected four steals for the Sea View League runner-up.

“The difference this year was definitely our maturity level,” said Bradshaw, whose mother and former University coach Nicole Bradshaw assisted Nunez. “The three seniors … we’ve played together since freshman year, so having such a core group, we knew this was the year we could take it all the way.”

Guard Leilani Dominguez scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers, and post Marina Leiva added 11 points to lead Cantwell-Sacred Heart (22-8). The Cardinals overcame a 10-point deficit early in the second quarter to take a 46-44 lead on a three-point play by Leilannie Chavez with 2:46 left in the fourth.

“Throughout the season, we’ve been battling,” said Cardinals interim coach Virgil DeGuia, whose team made 5 of 28 shots from beyond the arc. “We have a school of 300 students. We have eight girls on our varsity team. We have 14 girls total in our program. … For us to go to the semifinals three years in a row and finally get over that hump and go to the championship, I’m just so proud of them.”

​ Orange County Register 

Orange Lutheran girls water polo beats Mater Dei to defend CIF SoCal Regional title

• March 2, 2025

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Orange Lutheran’s girls water polo team achieved a repeat Saturday after falling short of its three-peat last week.

The Lancers captured a second consecutive CIF Southern California Regional title by defeating Trinity League rival Mater Dei 10-6 in the Division I final at Long Beach City College.

The Lancers (26-4) scored three times in the first two minutes to take control and led 5-1 early in the second period.

Orange Lutheran held a 7-4 advantage at intermission and carried a 10-6 lead into the fourth period.

Michelle Urkov scored three goals and Allison Cohen, Estelle Karaba and Jailynn Robinson each had two goals for the Lancers, whose bid to capture a third straight CIF-SS Open Division title was dashed by Newport Harbor in the semifinals.

Orange Lutheran goalie Kyla Pranajaya made 10 saves, including a penalty shot in the third period.

Freshman Paige Segesman and sophomore Maggie Ryan each had two goals for Mater Dei (25-5) while goalie Sienna Sorensen collected nine saves.

Mater Dei finished the season 3-2 against Orange Lutheran, which won the Trinity League title. The Monarchs won three tournament titles with a core group featuring one senior.

In the other regional finals, Clairemont beat Valhalla 9-6 in Division II and Cathedral Catholic raced past Birmingham 20-5 in Division III. Both schools won their first regional crowns.

​ Orange County Register 

Mater Dei girls soccer stuns Troy by scoring pair of late goals to win Division 1 title

• March 2, 2025

ORANGE — With just eight minutes left in regulation and the Mater Dei girls soccer team trailing by a goal things began to look bleak for the Monarchs.

But Valentina Labuschagne wouldn’t let her team go down without a fight.

Labuschagne scored a pair of goals in the final eight minutes, the tying goal off a scramble from a corner kick and the go-ahead goal from 35 yards away, to shock Troy late and snatch the CIF-SS Division 1 championship with a 2-1 victory Saturday night at El Modena High.

Mater Dei coach Matty West gave credit to the Warriors and also praised Labuschagne on her exceptional impact.

“I first want to say that Troy was a really impressive side, on a very good day and extremely well coached,” West said. “Their girls were really classy and skillful and they made great decisions and we were really fortunate to get that first one, and that gave us a lot of belief.”

“Once we got that we knew, we had to get that next one and it was gonna take something special and Valentina provided (that), and just she scored an incredible goal at an incredible time, and I couldn’t be happier for her.”

The Monarchs (14-6-4) collected their fifth section title, third with West at the helm and their first since 2015.

“I missed a couple early in the game and was upset about it, but you know, what could you do?” Labuschagne said. “I was dribbling and I was like, let me beat this player and see what I got. And I was like, let me hit this and see if it goes in. And thank God it went in.”

Warriors goalkeeper Ava De Leest was caught off guard by the long distance shot that found the upper left corner of the net in the 77th minute.

It was a devastating blow to a Troy team seeking the program’s first CIF-SS title.

Troy coach Ben Rogers was crushed over the result.

“Credit to Mater Dei, unbelievable resilience,” he said. “You know, to get the first goal and then an unbelievable goal with, you know, about five minutes left, credit to them. They’re a fantastic team. It just didn’t go our way tonight, you know. Heartbreaker, but we’ll learn from this, we’ll grow and get better.”

“I’m so proud of my girls for how far we’ve come,” Rogers added, “and the resilience that they’ve shown. But this one will hurt for a while, but, you know, in the end, it’ll make us stronger for sure.”

Montana Longcrier opened the scoring for Troy (18-3-2) six minutes into the second half after a nice pass over the top from Naomi Hochgesang.

“That was our plan, to hit those balls in behind,” Rogers said. “We knew that she (Longcrier) would be doing well in those matchups, and sure enough she won it and got in behind, slotted it away. You know, we needed one more, but that’s all good now. Part of the game.”

​ Orange County Register 

Cal State Fullerton’s skid reaches 10 games after rout at UC San Diego

• March 2, 2025

SAN DIEGO — The losing streak is at 10 games, and the defeats are getting uglier as a frustrating season slogs toward the finish line.

UC San Diego handed the Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team another blowout loss on Saturday night, shooting 18 for 40 from 3-point range and feasting on 20 Fullerton turnovers in a 100-55 victory over the Titans. It was the eighth straight loss of 15 points or more for Fullerton, the last four of which have been decided by 37, 30, 25 and 45 points.

Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones had 21 points, five rebounds and three steals to pace UCSD (26-4 overall, 16-2 Big West). Tyler McGhie had 13 points and five rebounds and Justin Rochelin and Hayden Gray each scored 11 points as the first-place Tritons extended their winning streak to 11 games and moved a step closer to clinching the Big West regular-season title and the top seed in the conference tournament.

Antwan Robinson had his first double-double of the season (13 points, 10 rebounds) to lead the last-place Titans (6-24, 1-17), who won the Big West Tournament in 2022 and lost in the title game in 2023 but failed to qualify for the eight-team event for the second consecutive year. Kobe Young added 11 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Donovan Oday had 10 points, six rebounds and two steals.

UCSD opened the game with a 12-0 run, but Fullerton put together an 8-2 run after a timeout.

The Titans scored 10 of their 17 first-half points in the paint, but UCSD caught fire and finished the half on a 25-4 run for a 49-17 halftime lead. Fullerton shot just 27% from the field (7 for 26) in the first half (2 for 10 from 3-point range), while the Tritons shot 53% overall (17 for 32) and 10 for 22 from behind the arc.

Fullerton scored 38 points in the second half, but still shot just 37% for the night and 6 for 20 from long range while the Tritons remained hot and started the half on a 19-5 run for a 68-22 lead. UCSD finished 18 for 40 from 3-point range and had 28 assists on its 37 field goals with just four turnovers.

UCSD is one game ahead of second-place UC Irvine (25-5, 15-3) with two games left. UCSD and UCI are already guaranteed of being the top two seeds in the Big West Tournament, with double byes into the semifinals of the event in Henderson, Nevada.

UP NEXT

Cal State Fullerton plays at Cal Poly on Thursday at 7 p.m.

BIG WEST STANDINGS

Through Saturday, March 1

UC San Diego – 26-4, 16-2

UC Irvine – 25-5, 15-3

CS Northridge – 21-8, 13-5

UC Riverside – 19-11, 12-6

UC Santa Barbara – 19-11, 11-8

UC Davis – 15-14, 9-9

Hawaii – 15-14, 7-11

CS Bakersfield – 13-18, 7-12

Cal Poly (SLO) – 12-18, 6-12

Long Beach State – 7-23, 3-15

CS Fullerton – 6-24, 1-17

​ Orange County Register