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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!  
 
 
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Junior economics major Joe Mooney nailed the last of his career-high seven three-pointers with 33 seconds remaining in Saturday's Big West contest at Long Beach State, to pull his team within three. After the 49ers hit two free throws, freshman Caleb Fuller brought the Aggies back within one possession with his layup — a series of events that repeated itself on each team's ensuing possession with another Fuller layup following LBSU's two made free throws.
 
Led by its shooting at the stripe — Long Beach hit 32 of 42 attempts overall and 24 of 29 throughout the second half, including 12 straight (in as many attempts) within the final minute of the game — the 49ers escaped the Walter Pyramid with an 82-77 victory.
 
UC Davis will return home for Thursday's Big West home opener, versus UC Santa Barbara, with a 4-12 overall and 0-2 league record. With its result, which snapped the Aggies' three-game head-to-head win streak, LBSU improved to 7-10 and 1-0 respectively.
 
Throughout his 33 minutes on the floor, no Long Beach player came close to stopping Mooney, who led all Aggies and finished with a career-high 29 points. Whether it was during his team's 14-3 second-half scoring run, which erased a 10-point deficit and gave the Ags a one-point lead with 5:56 remaining, or throughout the final minutes of the game, which kept the 49ers' lead to a one-possession margin, Mooney consistently followed one clutch shot with another.
 
"Even though he struggled early during non-conference play, he hits those shots in practice. It was only a matter of time before it carried over to games, and he was huge for us," said head coach Jim Les.
 
Seven of Mooney's 10 baskets, both career highs, were hit from behind the arc; he also matched another two career highs by finishing with five rebounds (set two days ago at UC Irvine) and four assists (originally recorded when UC Davis visited Long Beach State last season).
 
Also shining for the Aggies in Saturday's ESPN3 broadcast was senior communication major TJ Shorts II, who finished 8-for-12 overall and connected on all three of his free throws. In addition to scoring 19 points, he collected a team-high five assists and recorded three steals.
 
All three of senior communication major Siler Schneider baskets were hit from three; he became the final Aggie double-digit scorer when he connected at the line to finish with 10 points.
 
But it was the 49ers' success at the charity stripe, led by Deishuan Booker who sank 19 of 20 attempts, that helped his team defeat an Aggie squad that won five of the last eight head-to-head games entering Saturday's game.
 
By comparison to Long Beach State scoring its last 12 points of the night, UC Davis hit 10 of its 14 attempts at the free throw line for the entire game.
 
With a road-heavy portion of its schedule now complete — six of UC Davis' last eight games took place outside of Davis — the Pavilion will host the team's next two games, starting with Thursday's 7 p.m. matchup against the Gauchos. The first home weekend of league play will conclude two days later with a 5 p.m. matchup versus Cal Poly.
 
 
 
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.