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UC Davis basketball fans enjoyed two perfect home records in the last four seasons, and watched the Aggies win three Big West titles throughout that same timespan. Create a home court advantage like no other, purchase your tickets for a men's basketball home game today!
TUCSON, Ariz. – Trailing 67-66 in Saturday's non-conference game at Arizona, senior communication major
TJ Shorts II connected on an off-balanced layup, while falling out of bounds, to give UC Davis a 68-67 lead with 1:37 remaining.
Arizona's Justin Coleman only made one basket against the Aggies, but it was a contested three that took place on the Wildcats' next possession which gave his team a 70-68 advantage, but left enough time for the visitors to make one final push to tie the game and head into overtime, or secure a win outright. And as the final seconds elapsed, the Aggies took a three moments before the buzzer sounded, a shot that was unlucky for UC Davis, and allowed the Wildcats to escape with a 70-68 home victory.
"That was a contested bomb, and sometimes those shots fall," said head coach Jim Les, regarding Coleman's shot.
"I am proud of this group with the way they played and the way they fought. If this team continues to work like this and battle, possession-by-possession, we are going to have a lot of fun in the second half of the season," Les added.
UC Davis (3-8) took an early lead before Arizona (9-4) pushed ahead by scoring five of the following seven points. At one point in the first half, it led by a game-high 15, but saw the Aggies whittle it down to 11 at halftime.
Little did the Wildcats know what was in store for them when action resumed.
Thanks to a 18-7 run that spanned the first 5:43 seconds of the second half, the Aggies tied the game for the first time at 48 apiece — the first of nine tied scores and four lead changes that took place throughout the rest of the evening.
Shorts II jump-started that run by scoring two of his season-high 25 points — in addition to leading all scorers, he also finished with a team-high seven rebounds — followed by a trio of threes from freshman Damion Squire, layups from senior communication major Siler Schneider and junior communication Matt Neufeld.
"Damion has been shooting the ball at a high level. He found ways to create space and find his way to the basket, they had a lot of trouble guarding him and staying in front of him. I thought he made some great choices when he kept his dribble, and knew when to find guys who were open," said Les.
When senior economics major Garrison Goode converted his three-point play, the game was tied at 48, the UC Davis possessed all momentum, its bench was pumped, as were numerous Aggie fans who were among the 13,576 in attendance.
As was the case with Schneider, who scored 13 points, Goode set a new season high with the same total.
What started early in the game with Goode, continued throughout the entire evening for he and his teammates: The Aggies were aggressive down low and outscored the Wildcats in the paint by a 38-28 margin.
Throughout the final 14:17, Arizona could not break through UC Davis' defense and only scored at the line. For more than six minutes, the Wildcats did not record a field goal and was able to stay within a one-possession margin, whenever the Aggies led, due to their success at the stripe.
Aiding the Aggies' effort throughout their comeback was their ability to protect the ball, as evident by finishing with a season-low turnover total (8).
Including its 15-for-26 shooting (.577) from the floor throughout the second half, UC Davis finished with a .510 overall field goal percentage (26-for-51), a season high versus a Division I opponent.
Arizona's Chase Jeter led his team with 16 points, Brandon Randolph added another 15 points and finished with a game-high eight rebounds.
The Aggies will now enjoy a brief break before returning to action on Dec. 28 at Loyola Marymount, a team that sat atop the West Coast Conference standings when the team's three-game holiday road trip started.
UC Davis will face USC for the first time in program history on Dec. 30, at the Galen Center, before returning home for its final game before the start of league play.
AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation.
Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis.
Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
CREATE A HOME COURT ADVANTAGE LIKE NO OTHER
UC Davis basketball fans have watched the Aggies win three championships and enjoy two undefeated seasons inside the Pavilion in the last four years. Don't miss out on another historic season, click here to purchase your season tickets today!
TOGETHER, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING
Directly impact the lives of potential, and current UC Davis basketball student-athletes, by joining the Aggie Round Table.
With support from this select group of insiders, the men's basketball program can expand its recruiting efforts to find prospects who will thrive at the fifth-ranked public school in the nation, compete at a championship level and represent the University in a first-class manner as one of its ambassadors.
Contact Liz Martin (Assistant Athletics Director, Leadership Giving & Alumni Engagement) at (530) 574-8623 or emartin@ucdavis.edu to find out how you can join this exclusive club!
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley.
The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
