Oct. 17, 2008
By John McMahon
UC Davis Athletics Media Relations
Originally Published Oct. 11 in Aggie Gameday
Over the past several years, the UC Davis men's basketball schedule has featured plenty of long-distance road trips. Those pale in comparison to what the team experienced just six weeks ago when it traveled to Europe for more than a week to experience culture and basketball in several locations. A contingent of 12 Aggies played four games against national teams over the course of the trip, which included stops in France, Switzerland and Monaco. In addition to plenty of sightseeing, the trip gave the Aggies a wealth of success on the court to take into the upcoming 2008-09 season.
In all, UC Davis played against various national teams and posted an impressive 3-1 record. As a team, the Aggies won their last two games by overcoming fourth quarter deficits. None was more dramatic than its come-from-behind victory in Switzerland. With the Aggies trailing by as many as 20 points, they stormed back with a 20-0 run in the final quarter on their way to an 86-81 victory. UC Davis also trailed late in Monaco before prevailing with a 113-109 victory.
For the past two seasons, UC Davis has been led in scoring by guard Vince Oliver. Not surprisingly, the senior led the team with 21.0 points per game in the four games. An Aggie topped 20 points fives times, and three of those performances were turned in by Oliver.
Guard Joe Harden also provided plenty of firepower in his Aggie debut by averaging 17.0 ppg. He poured in 26 points in the opener and 18 points in each of the last two games. Two more Aggies averaged in double-figures. Forward Dominic Calegari averaged 14.8 ppg, which included a team-best 27 points in the final game. In addition, guard Mark Payne turned in 10.3 ppg.
"This is by far the best team I have been on at UC Davis," said Oliver, who enters his senior season. "The 10 days of practice (before the trip) and the tour have helped so much."
UC Davis was able to take 12 student-athletes from its 16-man roster on the European Tour. That number included nine returning players from the 2007-08 squad as well as three redshirts from last year.
The trip started in Paris and ended in Nice. The first three days were spent in the French capitol and included bike and boat tours of the historic city. Visits to the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral added to the cultural experience. After a stop in Lyon, where the Aggies played their second game, the contingent moved on to Switzerland. While there, UC Davis stayed in Montreux and had a chance to tour a 12th century medieval fort located on the shore of Lake Geneva. The final leg of the trip was spent in Nice and included a tour of nearby Monaco before concluding the four-game schedule that night in Monaco.
"I am very pleased with were we are. The European Tour was an incredible experience," said UC Davis head coach Gary Stewart. "Obviously, we have a lot of work to do prior to playing Iowa State, but we are in a much better position going forward than in years past. We are much deeper, more versatile and have better team chemistry." UC Davis opens its 2008-09 season Nov. 13 just a mere two time zones away when it faces Iowa State in the first round of the World Vision Basketball Classic in Ames, Iowa.
UC Davis men's basketball opens its 2008-09 season with home exhibition games with Bethany and Notre Dame de Namur before traveling to the World Vision Basketball Classic in Ames, Iowa on November 14-16.
