Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - UC Davis scored seven of the final 11 points before halftime, Josh Ritchart scored the Aggies' first nine points in the second half and two scoring runs lifted UC Davis to a 66-56 victory in Saturday night's Big West Conference game from the Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

By spoiling Cal Poly's senior night and extending its win streak against the Mustangs to four, UC Davis will enter the final week of the season with a 22-5 overall and 12-2 Big West record. Off next Thursday, Cal Poly will enter its final game of the year next Saturday with a 13-14 and 6-9 mark.

Combined with UC Irvine's loss at UC Santa Barbara, Saturday's result in San Luis Obispo trimmed the Aggies' magic number to one. With the next UC Davis victory, or UC Irvine loss, men's basketball will capture its first Big West Conference championship and secure the top seed at the upcoming league tournament.

Leading 23-18 with just over three minutes remaining until halftime, UC Davis pulled away from Cal Poly by scoring 7 of 11 points before the break. That scoring Aggie scoring spurt followed a 6:16 block of time that saw UC Davis hold Cal Poly scoreless.

Up by eight once action resumed, Ritchart scored his team's first nine points to increase UC Davis' lead to 15.

After watching him singlehandedly extend the Aggies' lead, Cal Poly called timeout in an attempt to disrupt Ritchart's rhythm.

All that did was fire up the rest of the Aggies, who ended up scoring 11 of 13 following points within a 4:52 timespan to hold its largest lead of the evening at 47-29.

Cal Poly answered UC Davis' scoring run by piecing together an 8-0 run of its own, only to see the Aggies respond with another 7-2 run to build their lead back to 15.

Providing the perfect bookend to Ritchart's torrent shooting in the opening minutes of the second half was Avery Johnson, as he scored nine of his team's final 14 points of the game.

Included in his scoring display was a thunderous dunk that silenced the 3,032 in attendance, and all but officially iced the result.

Johnson, combined with the Aggies' success at the line, capped an evening that was dominated by UC Davis on both ends of the floor.

UC Davis shot .558 percent overall (23-for-43), .471 from three (8-for-17) and .909 from the line (10-for-11), compared to the Mustangs who posted percentages of .440 (22-for-50), .412 (7-for-17) and .714 (5-for-7) respectively.

Even though both teams committed 10 miscues, it was the Aggies who made the most of their opportunities by scoring 18 points off Mustang turnovers.

Johnson finished with 13 points and Corey Hawkins chipped in another 10; each also led all players with six rebounds.

Ridge Shipley led Cal Poly in scoring with 16 points as four of his six baskets were made from three.

UC Davis is a perfect 12-0 inside the Pavilion - site of the team's final two games of the season when UC Riverside and UC Irvine visit on Thursday and Saturday respectively.

UC DAVIS 66, CAL POLY 56

UC DAVIS (22-5, 12-2 BWC)

Ritchart, Josh 8-12 1-1 19; Johnson, Avery 4-6 5-6 13; Hawkins, Corey 4-130-0 10; Les, Tyler 3-4 0-0 9; Graham, Darius 2-3 2-2 7; Lemar, Brynton 1-10-0 2; Monson, Neal 0-0 2-2 2; Adenrele, J.T. 1-2 0-0 2; Fox, Josh 1-2 0-02. Totals 24-43 10-11 66.

CAL POLY (13-14, 6-9 BWC)

Shipley, Ridge 6-13 0-0 16; Love, Maliik 5-9 1-3 11; Nwaba, David 3-6 2-2 8;Awich, Joel 3-9 0-0 7; Bennett, Brian 3-6 0-0 6; Bolden, Michael 2-4 0-0 6;Morgan, Reese 0-2 2-2 2; Logue, KJ 0-0 0-0 0; Abrams, Aleks 0-0 0-0 0;Silvestri, Anthony 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-50 5-7 56.

UC Davis...................... 30 36 - 66
Cal Poly....................... 22 34 - 56

3-point goals--UC Davis 8-17 (Les, Tyler 3-4; Ritchart, Josh 2-4; Hawkins,Corey 2-7; Graham, Darius 1-1; Johnson, Avery 0-1), Cal Poly 7-17 (Shipley,Ridge 4-8; Bolden, Michael 2-4; Awich, Joel 1-3; Morgan, Reese 0-1;Silvestri, Anthony 0-1). Fouled out--UC Davis-None, Cal Poly-None.Rebounds--UC Davis 23 (Hawkins, Corey 6; Johnson, Avery 6), Cal Poly 26(Awich, Joel 6). Assists--UC Davis 13 (Hawkins, Corey 4), Cal Poly 8 (Love,Maliik 4). Total fouls--UC Davis 13, Cal Poly 15. Technical fouls--UCDavis-None, Cal Poly-None. A-3032