Game 24

UC Davis Aggies (19-4, 9-1 BWC)
at
Long Beach State 49ers (13-14, 7-4 BWC)

Thursday, Feb. 19 - 7 p.m.
Walter Pyramid (5,000) - Long Beach, Calif.

Video Stream: ESPN3- Trent Schlom (PBP), Richie Schueler (Analyst), Courtney Sweet (Sideline)
Radio: KSAC (105.5 FM) - Scott Marsh (PBP)
Internet Audio

In-game Twitter Updates

Game 25

Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (18-9, 6-5 BWC)
at
UC Davis Aggies

Saturday, Feb. 21 - 7 p.m.
The Pavilion (5,670) - Davis, Calif.

Video Stream
Radio: KSAC (105.5 FM)
Internet Audio
Live Stats
In-game Twitter Updates

Game Notes


DAVIS, Calif. - On Jan. 10, in a game televised on ESPNU, UC Davis erased a double-digit deficit to collect a come-from-behind victory against Long Beach State. More than a month later, men's basketball will have an opportunity to extend its two-win lead over Long Beach in the Big West standings, earn its 20th victory of the year for the first time as a Division I program and sweep Long Beach State when the Aggies visit the Walter Pyramid on Thursday.

ESPN3 will broadcast this game nationwide; Trent Schlom will call the action with Richie Schueler (analyst) and Courtney Sweet (sideline) providing additional commentary throughout the evening.

Series Record: Long Beach State leads 20-3
Last UC Davis Win: 73-67 (OT); 1/10/15 in Davis
Last Long Beach State Win: 79-57; 2/20/14 in Davis
Series Streak: UC Davis +1

Once UC Davis returns to campus on Friday, less than 36 hours will pass before the Aggies return to Hamilton Court when the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors visit UC Davis. Before the team arrives to Northern California, UH will face UC Irvine Thursday night in Orange County.

The Aggies will look to avenge their only league loss Saturday evening as the Rainbow Warriors downed UC Davis by eight when these teams first met in Honolulu on Jan. 22. Even though UH has won 18 games this season, 13 were earned inside the Stan Sheriff Center - one of the more notoriously difficult places to compete. Conversely, the Rainbow Warriors have split their six road games played so far this season.

Series Record: Hawai'i leads 5-2
Last UC Davis Win: 89-65; 2/14/13 in Davis
Last Hawai'i Win: 84-76; 1/22/15 in Honolulu
Series Streak: Hawai'i +3

TOP TURNAROUNDS
UC Davis is one of three teams in the nation that sport a NCAA-best +10 win differential from last season, to this one. In addition to the Aggies, Cornell (2-26 last season/12-12 this year), New Hampshire (6-24/16-10) and Temple (9-22/19-4) are enjoying a 10-win improvement through games played on Feb. 16.

ALMOST THERE
With one more victory, UC Davis will earn its 20 of the season for the first time in the program's Division-I history. The 1999-2000 season marked the last time UC Davis won 20 or more games in a season when that roster collected 22. That was the last of a six-season stretch that saw the Aggies win 20 or more games each year.

ANOTHER VICTORY MAKES IT THREE
The Aggies have won 10 of their last 11 games, their last five in a row, and are now 19-4 overall and 8-1 in the Big West. The Aggies are on the verge becoming just the third Big West program to go from single-digit wins one season to 20 the next. Utah State went 4-23 in 1981-82 and 20-9 in 1982-83, while Fresno State was 7-20 in 1976-77 and 21-6 in 1977-78.

WE'RE NUMBER ONE! WE'RE NUMBER ONE!
For the seventh straight week, UC Davis is the No. 1 team in the country (out of 345 Div. I teams) with its three-point percentage. The Aggies sport a .461 clip from the behind the arc.

BETTER THAN 50/50 ODDS? I'LL TAKE THAT
UC Davis is also ranked No. 3 in the nation, and No. 1 in the Big West, with its .500 field goal percentage. The Aggies are the only Division I team in the country to hold a top-five three-point and field goal percentage.

HE'S NUMBER ONE! HE'S NUMBER ONE!
For the first time in the program's Division I history, a UC Davis player leads all players in the nation from behind the arc with his three-point percentage. Corey Hawkins is that individual, and for the fourth week in a row, holds a NCAA-high .526 figure.

RANKED NO. 4 BECAUSE HE CAN SCORE
Senior guard Corey Hawkins is ranked No. 4 among all Division I players in the nation with his 21.3 points per game average.

CONGRATULATIONS COACH LES
UC Davis head coach Jim Les collected career victory No. 200 when the Aggies defeated CSUN with their 68-55 road win on Feb. 7.

CLIMBING THE MID-MAJOR LADDER
For the seventh week, UC Davis earned a top 25 ranking when CollegeInsider.com released its mid-major poll Monday evening. In its latest listing, the Aggies are ranked No. 10 - the highest ranking in school history.

On Nov. 24, UC Davis made its inaugural Division I appearance on CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major Top 25 poll when the Aggies received one vote. Five weeks later, UC Davis earned its first-ever, D-I national ranking when the media outlet listed the Aggies as the No. 25 mid-major team in the nation in its Dec. 22 poll.

ESPN + UC DAVIS = WINNING COMBINATION
After its successful showing on ESPN3 at UC Irvine last week, the network will now air another game across the country when UC Davis men's basketball visits Long Beach State on Feb. 19. Tipoff from the Walter Pyramid is set for 7 p.m.

With Monday's announcement, UC Davis will now appear on ESPN and its family of networks on four occasions this season.

WE LIKE THE VIEW MUCH BETTER FROM HERE
With a two-game lead in the standings, UC Davis is on the verge of becoming just the third team in conference history to jump from last place, to first place in a span of two seasons. The other two teams are:

• Fresno State (1-11, last) in 1976-77, tied for first in 1977-78 at 11-3 with San Diego State
• UC Santa Barbara finished last in 1997-98 (4-12) and first in 1998-99 at 12-4

If successful, the Aggies will become the first to do so outright in a single division setup.

A PERFECT 10 (AND COUNTING)
The Aggies have experienced a plus-10 win differential from last season to this season, one of the best in Big West history. UC Davis is one of just 16 teams to have made at least a 10-win improvement. The all-time biggest improvement in league history is 16 wins.

Utah State is the team with the +16 differential - that group went 4-23 in 1981-82 and improved to 20-9 in 1982-83

HOT SHOOTING CARRIES OVER TO THE STRIPE
In its Feb. 12 home game against Cal State Fullerton, UC Davis set two new season highs from the line with their 39 attempts and 28 free throws made.

RITCHART RECEIVES PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
By averaging 21.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, shooting .708 percent overall and .600 percent from three to help UC Davis, who began the week of Feb. 2 tied for first place with two other teams, remained atop the Big West standings by itself when the team ended its Southern California road trip with wins at UC Irvine (2/5) and CSUN (2/7).

At UC Irvine, the senior guard/forward led all players with 22 points on a season-high 10 of 11 shooting from the field. Ritchart knocked down 2 of 3 shots from three; that lone miss prevented him from recording his second perfect shooting line for the season. Two days later at CSUN, he led all players once again with 21 points and canned a three with 1:43 remaining to push the Aggies' lead to nine and seal the victory.

The league's announcement on Monday, Feb. 9, marked the third time that Ritchart received weekly honors as an Aggie.

THERE IS A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
By receiving Big West Player of the Week accolades when the league announced its selection on Feb. 9, UC Davis received honors on consecutive weeks for the first time since joining the Big West in 2007.

On Feb. 2, Corey Hawkins received his second weekly award from the conference this year, his first was announced on Nov. 24.

A FIVE-TOOL PLAYER IN BASKETBALL?
As the numbers indicate, that's the best way to describe Corey Hawkins since the senior guard can defend, score, protect the ball, create open looks for teammates and force turnovers. Hawkins' NCAA and Big West rankings include (through games played on Feb. 16):

NCAA
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage - 1/.526
Points Per Game - 4/21.3
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game - 11/3.21
Field Goal Percentage - 74/.512
Total Three-Point Field Goals - 80/61

Big West Conference
Points per Game - 1/21.3
Three-Point Field Goals Made - 1/3.21 per gm.
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage - 1/.526
Assists Per Game - 4/3.79 per gm.
Defensive Rebounds - 4/4.58 per gm.
Field Goal Percentage - 5/.512
Free Throw Percentage - 5/.806
Steals - 6/1.47 per gm.
Assist-To-Turnover Ratio - 9/1.29
Rebounding - 10/5.4 per gm.

HE'S DEFINITELY ON THE LIST
Corey Hawkins is on Lou Henson Mid-Major Watch List - an award that is presented to the best mid-major player in the nation. Including his NCAA-high .526 percentage from three, the senior guard also holds numerous top-100 individual NCAA rankings. Hawkins' 21.3 points per game scoring average is the best in the Big West Conference and the fourth -highest among all Division I players. UC Davis' first-ever Big West scoring champion is also ranked No. 11 nationally by averaging 3.21 three-point field goals per game.

NO PROBLEM, WE'VE GOT THIS
Even with Corey Hawkins not in the lineup for the Aggies' Feb. 5 first-place battle at UC Irvine, the Aggies still routed the Anteaters, 75-56, to remain in a first place tie with Long Beach State.

Two days later, UC Davis won its second straight game without the senior guard by defeating CSUN by 13 points, then made it three in as many opportunities when the Titans left the Pavilion on Feb. 12 with a loss.

THE CHASE TO NOTHING CONTINUES
UC Davis will take its 11-0 home record into Saturday's contest against Hawai'i and look to remain perfect inside the Pavilion this season. The Aggies are bidding to hold the Big West's first undefeated home record since Long Beach State finished 12-0 in 2011-12.

ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
UC Davis enters this week's games atop the Big West standings in first place and is the only league team with an undefeated home (11-0) and winning road record (8-4).

THE DEFINITION OF CONSISTENCY
UC Davis has shot 50 percent in 14 games, and no worse than 43.5 percent in any game.

I NEED ANOTHER ERASER!
UC Davis blew past its previous Division I record for the most wins in a season, which was 14, with more than a month's worth of games still yet to play after topping the Cal State Fullerton Titans, on their home court, on Jan. 17.

By winning both road games at UC Irvine (2/5) and CSUN (2/7), men's basketball set another record for the most road victories. This year's squad matched the previous mark of six wins entering that week, and stood alone once the team returned to Davis.

UC Davis picked up its ninth Big West win when the Titans visited Davis for their return match, matching a school record for the most league victories earned in a single season (with another three home games remaining).

All three records were previously set by Les' 2012-13 team.

TOP 25 TALENT
Just a handful of days after grabbing the nation's attention after scoring 28 points and collecting 10 rebounds in Jan. 10's ESPNU home game against Long Beach State, Corey Hawkins was named one of the nation's best college basketball players by ESPN.

The senior guard was ranked No. 25 in college basketball pundit John Gasaway's annual hype-free, performance-based listing of the top 25 players in the country.

YOU CAN'T STOP THEM ALL
UC Davis leads all Big West teams by averaging 8.95 three-point field goals per game, holds the highest success rate from distance with its .461 percentage, and sports four of the league's top 10 shooters from behind the arc in seniors Corey Hawkins, Avery Johnson, Tyler Les and Josh Ritchart.

Hawkins leads all league players with his .526 three-point percentage; Les is No. 3 and is shooting .479 from three; Ritchart is No. 5 with his .463 clip; Johnson completes the list with his .400 mark. Coincidentally, all four ranked players are redshirt seniors.

THEY ARE WITHIN RANGE ONCE THEY CROSS MIDCOURT
Seniors Josh Ritchart and Corey Hawkins also hold top-10 field goal percentages. The former is ranked No. 2 among all Big West players with his .524 figure, the latter is No. 5 and shooting .512 from the floor.

YOU KNOW WHAT IS COMING AND YOU STILL CANNOT STOP HIM
Among all active Big West players, senior guard Tyler Les is ranked No. 2 with 189 three-point field goals. Of his 214 career field goals, 88 percent were made from distance.

THE AGGIES' 1-2 PUNCH FROM THREE
Three-point sharpshooter Tyler Les is No. 2 in the Big West Conference among all active players with 189 three-point field goals. So who is the only player preventing Les from claiming the top spot? Teammate Josh Ritchart and his 216 threes.

KEEP YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL
That's the best piece of advice for all Aggie players on the court whenever sophomore guard Darius Graham, or senior guard Corey Hawkins possess the ball. The pair lead the team with 84 and 72 assists respectively - a collective 48 percent of the team's total.

HE'S THEIR TOP DEFENDER, AND HE CAN SHOOT FROM THREE?
Known for stifling opponents' top players each and every game, Avery Johnson has developed a new part of his game by knocking down threes on a regular, and consistent basis. Including his career-high four-basket performance in the Aggies' Big West opener vs. CSUN,

Johnson has canned 24 threes this season to surpass his total from last year (18) three weeks remaining in the regular season.