Feb. 25, 2010

Final Stats

DAVIS, Calif. - Long Beach State overcame a nine-point second-half deficit as it defeated UC Davis, 68-65, Thursday night in a Big West Conference game at The Pavilion. Joe Harden tied a career-high with 26 points to lead UC Davis (11-16, 6-7 Big West). The junior also added 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. T.J. Robinson paced LBSU (14-14, 7-7 Big West) with 25 points and 12 rebounds.

The game featured seven lead changes in the final 6:24. UC Davis had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds but misfired on a pair of off-balance three-pointers before time expired. Mark Payne returned to action for the Aggies after missing four straight games and finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Dominic Calegari added 10 points and seven rebounds.

The contest was close for most of the night as neither team led by more than nine points. The longest run for either team was a 10-0 burst by the Aggies that gave them a 44-35 cushion less than five minutes into the second half. The 49ers gradually came back and eventually took a 53-52 lead with 6:24 to play on a three-point play by Larry Anderson.

Each team then traded 5-0 runs, and LBSU still led 58-57 at the 4:06 mark. That started a stretch where the lead changed hands four straight times. When Calegari went 2-for-2 from the line with 3:19 left, the Aggies had a 61-60 lead.

Harden made two free throws a minute later to give UC Davis a 63-61 lead. It would turn out to be the last lead of the night for the hosts as the 49ers scored five straight to lead 66-63 with 39 seconds remaining.

In the next possession, Harden drew a foul and made two more free throws to pull the Aggies within 66-65, but Casper Ware did the same at the other end three seconds later to account for the final scoring of the game.

"Down the stretch I thought Long Beach made some plays and we weren't able to get them stopped the last three minutes. We did a good job up until that point," said UC Davis head coach Gary Stewart.

Harden scored 15 of his points in the second half and made a career-high 12 free throws in 14 attempts. His effort came just five days after he put up 24 points at Boise State.

"Joe was terrific. He's had a great week," said Stewart. "He was great against Boise State and bounced back. He was really aggressive. When he's like that, which is most of the time, when we give him space to operate, he's one of the better players in our league."

As a team, UC Davis shot 23-for-27 from the line. LBSU was also solid with a 28-for-35 effort.

UC Davis shot 40 percent from the field while holding LBSU to 33 percent. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc as each made just four treys. The Aggies went 4-for-16, and the 49ers finished 4-for-21 from long range.

Four 49ers finished in double-figures, including Robinson. Ware posted 14, and Anderson finished with 13. Greg Plater scored 10.

The win gives Long Beach the season series sweep. The Aggies were trying to avenge an 80-58 loss at LBSU on Jan. 30. The win also allowed LBSU to overtake UC Davis in fourth-place in the Big West as the Aggies now fall to fifth-place.

UC Davis is next in action Sunday when it hosts UC Riverside in its home finale. The game tips at 1 p.m. Calegari will be honored prior to the game as part of Senior Day.