The UC San Diego men’s and women’s basketball teams made history over the weekend, winning their respective conference tournaments (Big West) to qualify with automatic bids for the Div. I NCAA Tournament.

UCSD becomes the first school to have the men’s and women’s teams advance to the NCAA Tournament in the same year, in their first year of tournament eligibility.

The Tritons formerly competed at the Div. II level, transitioning to Div. I in 2020.

“We’ve had to sit and watch it [Big West Tournament] for the past four years knowing and being hungry,” said women’s head coach Heidi Vanderveer, following the team’s 75-66 championship victory over UC Davis. “We are prepared for anything that comes our way. Our league is extremely competitive.”

“I’m proud of our guys, we played hard the whole time,” men’s head coach Eric Olen said, following the 75-61 championship win over UC Irvine. “We weren’t perfect by any means. This was the second time in the season we lost the turnover battle but we won both those games. It’s a little unexpected, but we will take it.”

Vanderveer has headed the women’s team since 2012, while Olen has led the men’s side since 2013. He started with the program as an assistant in 2004.

It’s the same destination for both teams, but not the same story.

After an opening night win, the women dropped their next eight games, including three in overtime.

“When we get in rhythm, we will be good this year,” La Jolla Country Day alum and sophomore guard Sumayah Sugapong predicted back in November during the sluggish start. “We are working out the beginning-of-the-year nerves.”

Led by Sugapong (14.7 points per game), the Tritons scrapped their way to a 20-15 finish.

“I want to be a more efficient scorer. But if I am not scoring, I am going to be looking to help wherever I can,” Sugapong said. “I’m trying to step up as a leader. I’ve been working on that with the freshmen and the new girls coming in.”

In the 51-49 semifinal victory over Hawaii, Sugapong hit a flailing layup on the right side of the basket, after taking the inbound pass at midcourt to seal the win with 0.1 seconds left in the game.

Hawaii came back from 27 points down to tie the game.

“This is super special,” Sugapong said. “This is everything we wanted and worked so hard for this year.”

The UCSD women take on Southern at Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles, on Wednesday, March 19 in the NCAA Tournament’s first four.

On the men’s side, an opening game five-point loss to crosstown powerhouse San Diego State foreshadowed a dominant season to come.

The Tritons went 18-2 in conference, 30-4 on the season. During one stretch, they won 12 straight games.

Experience punctuates the roster with six career 1,000-point scorers.

San Diego native Hayden Gray is among the nation’s leaders in steals; senior swingman Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones gets to the free-throw line more than anyone in the country; Tyler McGhie is in the top five in converted three-pointers, pacing the No. 2 team nationwide in scoring margin.

“I had a lot of fun [in the Big West Tournament],” Gray said. “I’ve played in conference tournaments before at the Div. II level, but I’ve never won. It feels great to win it.”

“Any time I get to go out there with these guys and these coaches it’s a lot of fun,” added Tait-Jones. “I am just grateful to win.”

As the 12 seed, the men take on Michigan (5) on Thursday, March 20, at Ball Arena in Denver.