Feb. 13, 2010

Final Stats

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine used a 9-0 run in the final 3:14 to erase a seven-point deficit and claim a 69-67 victory over UC Davis Saturday night in a Big West Conference men's basketball game at the Bren Events Center. Patrick Rembert scored the game-winner with a driving layup with 9.2 seconds remaining. Dominic Calegari and Todd Lowenthal each scored 13 points to lead UC Davis. UCI's Darren Moore scored a game-high 21 points.

UC Davis (10-14, 6-6 Big West) made a season-high 14 three-pointers, including 11 in the first half. The Aggies led 67-60 after a jumper by Ryan Sypkens with 4:26 to play, but it would turn out to be the last time the Aggies would score. Sypkens had a chance to give the Aggies the victory but missed a three-pointer with two seconds left.

The win for UC Irvine (11-15, 4-8 Big West) snapped its four-game losing streak to the Aggies. Michael Hunter added 19 points in the effort. UC Davis was playing without its leading scorer, Mark Payne, for the second straight game due to illness. Eric Wise, who entered the game as the Anteaters' leading scorer, was held to just three points.

UC Davis put on a three-point shooting clinic in the first half as four Aggies made at least two treys. UC Davis made six of its first eight attempts from long range and finished the half 11-for-17 from beyond the arc while going 3-for-10 from inside. Dominic Calegari, Adam Malik and Sypkens all drilled three treys in the first half.

Neither team led by more than three through the first eight minutes. The first separation as created by the Aggies, who opened up a 23-17 lead after a Malik trey at the 11:19 mark. Another three-pointer by Malik and a basket by Welch made it 31-23 with 8:31 left in the half.

Malik's third trey of the half gave UC Davis a 39-28 lead with 6:17 left in the period, which was its largest advantage of the game.

UC Irvine used a 7-0 run late in the half to pull within 42-40, but a three-pointer by Sypkens with 32 seconds left accounted for the Aggies' 45-40 lead at the break.

The Anteaters scored the first five points of the second half to tie the game, but the Aggies went on a 5-0 burst of their own to reclaim the five-point lead. UCI eventually took the lead after a 6-0 run made it 54-53 at the 14:44 mark.

Joe Harden scored the next four points of the game, including a fast-break dunk to start a 7-0 run. Lowenthal capped it off with one of his three second-half treys to put UC Davis up 60-54.

The Anteaters clawed back within two, but the Aggies extended it back to seven when another Lowenthal three-pointer made it 65-58 with 6:33 remaining.

UC Irvine shot 43 percent for the night, including 50 percent from beyond the arc. The Aggies finished at 42 percent overall and 50 percent from long range. The Anteaters held the Aggies to just 3-for-11 from beyond the arc in the second half.

Lowenthal set a new career-high with his 13 points. He also added five assists and six rebounds.

UC Davis returns to action Tuesday night when it plays a non-conference game at Seattle.