Nov. 16, 2006

Box Score

EL PASO, Texas - Sophomore guard Vince Oliver scored a team-best 22 points with six rebounds, while teammate David Carter converted a key three-point play down the stretch, as UC Davis battled UTEP to a 80-76 loss in men's collegiate basketball action at the Don Haskins Center in front of 7,342 Thursday.

The Aggies, who are missing three of its five starters from the 2005-06 season, remain winless at 0-3. The Miners improve to 3-1 overall.

Three players scored in double figures for UC Davis, including Shane Hanson's 14 points on 4-for-8 three-point shooting. Sophomore forward Jesse Lopez Low came off the bench to chip in 10 points and grab eight rebounds. As a team, the Aggies shot 10-for-21 from beyond the arc for the game, and hit 14 of 15 free throws during the second half.

UTEP sophomore Stefon Jackson led his team with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Senior guard Kevin Henderson added 14 points and seven boards, while junior forward Victor Ramalho added 13 points and six rebounds.

After a Shane Hanson trey put UC Davis up by a 10-7 margin through five minutes of play, the Miners held their guests scoreless for more than three minutes while crafting a 15-10 lead. The Aggies later led by a 30-24 advantage later in the half after Hanson completed a three-point play at the 6:01 mark, but UTEP scored six straight to tie the contest for a sixth time. Oliver broke the game's seventh tie with shot in the paint at 1:25 to send UC Davis into the break with a 36-34 lead.

Oliver completed another three-point play to help UC Davis craft a 44-36 edge at 16:51 in the second half, its largest lead of the game. Again, UTEP battled back, this time igniting a 16-2 run during the next five minutes. Jackson hit three buckets and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the line during that stretch. He also grabbed six rebounds during the comeback run.

The Miners later enjoyed a 13-0 run, getting two layups and a pair of free throws from Henderson, to claim a 67-51 lead with eight minutes remaining in the game.

The Aggies whittled away at the UTEP lead, finally arriving within a 77-73 deficit behind Oliver's lone three-point basket at the 1:30 mark. Then at 0:52, Carter knocked down a jumper and drew a foul by freshman Malik Alvin. Carter hit his free throw to trim the Miner edge to two points.

Alvin turned the ball over to UC Davis on an offensive foul just eight seconds later, but Oliver was unable to hit the equalizer. The Aggies caught another break when Marvin Kilgore missed the front end of a free-throw trip, but UC Davis committed a lane violation and sent Kilgore back to the line. The UTEP guard missed his second attempt on the front iron, keeping the Aggies within two.

With the Aggies down to perhaps its final shot, Jackson picked up a key steal at the 17-second mark, then Pearson Smith sealed the Miner victory with an insurance goal with :07 remaining.

UC Davis continues its season-opening road trip at Portland on Sunday.

UC DAVIS (0-3) - C.J. Portz 1-1 0-2 3; Vince Oliver 7-15 7-7 22; Bussey Ellis 3-9 1-1 9; David Carter 2-6 4-6 8; Shane Hanson 4-8 2-4 14; Jesse Lopez Low 2-6 6-7 10; Ari Warmerdam 1-4 0-0 3; Dominic Calegari 1-2 0-0 2; Frank Henry-Ala 2-2 0-0 5. Totals 23-53 20-27 76.

UTEP (3-1) - Victor Ramalho 6-7 1-2 13; Jeremy Sampson 0-1 -00; Stefon Johnson 7-15 9-12 23; Marvin Kilgore 2-6 0-3 4; Darren Clarke 4-11 0-0 11; Pearson Smith 2-4 2-4 6; Malik Alvin 0-7 2-2 2; Walter Hairston 0-1 0-2 0; Kevin Henderson 3-11 7-9 14; Maurice Thomas 3-4 1-2 7. Totals 27-67 22-36 80.

Halftime - UC Davis, 36-34. Three-point field goals - UC Davis 10-21 (Shane Hanson 4-8, Bussey Ellis 2-4, Vince Oliver 1-4, Ari Warmerdam 1-2; C.J. Portz 1-1, Frank Henry-Ala 1-1, David Carter 0-1); UTEP 4-22 (Darren Clarke 3-5, Kevin Henderson 1-7, Malik Alvin 0-4, Stefon Jackson 0-3, Marvin Gilgore 0-1, Pearson Smith 0-1, Walter Hairston 0-1). Rebounds - UC Davis 31 (Jesse Lopez Low 8); UTEP 49 (Stefon Jackson 12). Assists - UC Davis 11 (Vince Oliver 5); UTEP 17 (Malik Alvin 6). Fouls - UC Davis 27, UTEP 26. Fouled out - UC Davis - Jesse Lopez Low; UTEP - Victor Ramalho, Malik Alvin. Technical fouls - none.

Attendance - 7,342.