Box Score Jan. 16, 2014
Box Score
DAVIS, Calif. - Led by a team-high 18 points from Corey Hawkins, UC Davis put four players into double figures in Thursday night's Big West Conference oopener at The Pavilion, a game that saw UC Riverside rally to down the Aggies 81-69.
UC Davis will continue its three-game homestand Saturday night and enter with a 5-13 overall and 0-3 Big West record. Georgi Funtarov scored a career-high 14 points while Avery Johnson had a career-best 10. Iggy Nujic contributed 10 points and a career-high nine rebounds. The Highlanders, who were led by 22 points from Taylor Johnson, improved to 6-11 and 1-2. Sam Finley had 19 while Chris Patton came off the bench to score 14. Steven Thornton added 13.
Behind 14 points in the first half from Hawkins, UC Davis built a 41-27 halftime lead and then extended the advantage to 51-32 early in the second half after a three-pointer from Johnson. The lead was 55-37 with 14:28 remaining until the Highlanders went on a 16-0 run to cut the lead to 55-53 at the midway point of the half.
Taylor Johns tied the game, 62-62, on layup with 6:50 to go while his layup less than a half-minute later gave UC Riverside the lead for good. The Highlanders built their lead to 10 points down the stretch and didn't let the Aggies get closer than five points the rest of the way.
UC Davis had 13 three-pointers, the most recorded against a Division I opponent this year. Funtarov, Johnson and Hawkins each drained three baskets from distance, Nujic and Ryan Sypkens each finished with two field goals from behind the arc.
The previous season high of 12 three-point field goals made was originally set in the Aggies' previous game at Long Beach State.
Of those 13 treys, nine were earned throughout the first half-a 20-minute block of action that saw UC Davis shoot 50 percent from the floor (14-of-28) and 53 percent from three (9-for-17).
In addition to his team-high scoring total, Hawkins led all Aggies with five assists and four steals.
UC Davis will return to action Saturday night against Cal State Fullerton, tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
