Follow UC Davis: Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook
  
JONESBORO, Ark. -  Joe Mooney posted his second 20-point game of the season by finishing with a game-high 21, Matt Neufeld added another 14 points by hitting all six of his shots from the floor and both free throws, and Caleb Fuller chipped in another 10 in Friday night's Red Wolves Classic game against Arkansas State, the tournament's host.
 
The Aggies pulled within five during the second half, but the Red Wolves withstood that scoring charge, and pulled away to defeat UC Davis, 80-67.
 
Men's basketball will enter Sunday's 9 a.m. PT/11 a.m. CT tournament finale vs VMI with a 2-2 record; the Red Wolves will continue tournament play with a 3-1 mark.
 
"They were the more aggressive team tonight," said head coach Jim Les. "They had 13 offensive rebounds and finished with 12 steals tonight. When that happens, there is added pressure on our offense.
 
"We did some good things on offense; I liked the way we attacked their zone especially from the new guys who faced a live zone, against another opponent, for the first time this season. It was a baptism by fire for those guys," Les added.
 
UC Davis shot .510 overall — it hit 52 percent of its shots in the first half and 50 percent in the second — compared to Arkansas State's .489 clip.
 
"When you shoot like that, that usually means you are in the game and have a shot to win," Les said.
 
In addition to his perfect shooting performance, Neufeld collected a team-high five rebounds.
 
"I liked [Matt's] aggressiveness tonight. He was solid with his fundamentals and aggressive once he received the ball, especially around the basket. When he does that, he is skilled, talented and can create scoring opportunities down low," said Les.
 
Like his teammate Neufeld, Mooney also finished with a team-high five boards.
 
"We have a day off to re-energize, watch some film, prepare for Sunday and hopefully enjoy a nice trip home," added Les after the game.
 
In addition to live stats and internet audio links at UCDavisAggies.com, Sports 1140 KHTK will broadcast Sunday's 9 a.m. PT game against VMI.
 

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.