Jan. 4, 2010

Final Stats

DAVIS, Calif. - Dominic Calegari had a career night with 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead UC Davis to an 85-73 victory over Cal State Northridge Monday night in a Big West Conference men's basketball game at The Pavilion. Both were career-highs for the Aggie senior as UC Davis won its third straight game and remained perfect in the Big West. The Aggies improved to 6-8 overall and find themselves at the top of the Big West at 2-0. Lenny Daniel led Cal State Northridge (4-9, 0-2 Big West) with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Five different Aggies scored 10 or more points. Junior Ryan Silva made his first career start and finished with a season-high 17 points and pulled down a career-high six rebounds. Joe Harden added 12 points and five rebounds while Ryan Sypkens and Julian Welch each added 10 points. Adam Malik was the sixth Aggie to figure in the scoring with eight points.

UC Davis had another strong night from beyond the arc as four Aggies made at least two treys. Silva finished with four for the second straight game, and Calegari made three. Malik and Welch each finished with two treys as UC Davis shot 11-for-23 as a team. The Aggies made seven of their nine attempts from long range in the second half.

UC Davis led most of the night and built as much as a 18-point lead midway through the second half. Cal State Northridge tried to rally but was not able to get closer than nine points the rest of the way. The Aggies played without their leading scorer, Mark Payne, who suffered a shoulder injury Saturday against Cal State Fullerton.

UC Davis led by as many as 10 points in the first half. The opening frame was highlighted by the Aggie defense forcing 14 turnovers. Calegari was dominant in the half with 12 points and seven rebounds by the break. The Aggies' biggest run of the half was a 7-0 burst that turned a three-point lead into a 24-14 cushion by the 5:55 mark.

Harden started the run with a fast-break layup before a Calegari dunk and three-pointer capped off the surge. The Aggies led 26-16 before settling for a 31-26 advantage at the break.

The Aggies pushed the lead back into double figures when Sypkens converted a fast-break layup to make it 41-30 three minutes into the second half. An 8-2 run by CSUN cut the deficit to 43-38. That preceded the biggest run of the night for UC Davis.

In a matter of just over four minutes, the Aggies outscored the Matadors, 17-4, to build a commanding 60-42 lead at the 10:38 mark. Harden started the run with a three-point play, and Calegari added six more before it was over. Calegari, Silva and Welch all made treys in the run.

The closest Cal State Northridge would get down the stretch was 78-69 with 1:31 to play. At the same time, UC Davis was busy preserving the lead at the free throw line. The Aggies scored their final 10 points from the line and shot 20-for-27 from the stripe.

UC Davis shot 45 percent from the field while holding CSUN to 39.7 percent. The Matadors made just two of 17 attempts from beyond the arc. The Aggies also forced 21 turnovers while committing 16. Sypkens dished out a game-high five assists. Calegari's four steals turned out to be his third career-high set on the night.

"I liked the commitment our guys made to defend and the great understanding of what we wanted to accomplish. The game plan, I thought, was executed beautifully," said UC Davis head coach Gary Stewart. "We were tremendous at the point of attack with Ryan Silva and Ryan Sypkens."

Calegari's previous career-high in points was 26 set two years ago at UC Santa Barbara. His previous career-high in rebounds was 10 on two separate occasions.

"When we needed him most, Dominic was outstanding," added Stewart. "He was as good as it gets. Not only his points and rebounds but his leadership. He was able to be a calming presence. He's been through enough of these, and that permeates our team."

UC Davis returns to action Friday night when it plays before a national television audience. The Aggies will square off against UC Santa Barbara at 8 p.m. in a game that will air on ESPNU. It's the first game of a two-game road trip that concludes Sunday at Cal Poly.