Feb. 7, 2009
Final Stats
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside outlasted UC Davis, 58-53, in a Big West Conference men's basketball game Saturday night in Riverside. Vince Oliver led the Aggies with 11 points while Dominic Calegari and David Carter each scored nine. Brandon Dowdy led UCR (13-9, 5-5 Big West) with 12 points as the Highlanders played before a sell-out homecoming crowd at the Student Recreation Center.
UC Davis (10-13, 5-5 Big West) opened the seesaw affair with a 9-6 lead before the Highlanders countered with an 8-0 run to lead 14-9 at the 9:35 mark. UC Davis responded with a 7-0 run in which Calegari scored five points, and the Aggies led 16-14 with 8:07 left in the half. The score was tied at 25-25 after a Todd Lowenthal jumper with 4:33 remaining before UCR ran off 10 straight points to build a 35-25 lead in the final minute of the half. The Highlanders went to the break with a 35-27 lead.
The Aggies scored the first seven points of the second half to draw within one, but the momentum shifted back to the Highlanders. A layup by Kyle Austin made it 42-34 at the 11:48 mark. The lead was 44-37 before UC Davis went on an 11-2 run. Mark Payne made the second of his two three-pointers, and Oliver added another to help the Aggies regain the lead at 48-46 with 4:22 left.
With 3:17 left, Sean Cunningham's trey put UCR back in front for good as it helped ignite a 10-2 run to put the Highlanders up 56-50 with 34 seconds remaining. The Aggies scored their final three points from the free throw line.
UC Riverside shot 43 percent while holding UC Davis to 35 percent and a season-low 53 points.
Payne finished with eight points, four assists and six rebounds. Calegari grabbed a team-high eight boards and also had four assists. Joe Harden scored seven points.
UC Davis is next in action Feb. 12 when it hosts UC Irvine at The Pavilion at 7 p.m.
