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DAVIS, Calif. — Joe Mooney scored 11 points in Monday's non-conference home game against Loyola Marymount, but it was his final three, scored at the final buzzer, that capped a furious second-half comeback, sent the crowd inside the Pavilion into a frenzy and lifted UC Davis to a 67-65 victory.
By winning its final home game of 2019, UC Davis remains undefeated on Hamilton Court this season and improves to 5-8. Loyola Marymount will return home with a 5-6 record.
Down by 14 at halftime, and as many as 18 in the second half, UC Davis' defense fueled its comeback effort.
In addition to shooting 3-for-12 throughout a 12:26 timespan, before Erik Johansson's layup gave the Lions a 65-64 lead with three seconds remaining, LMU was held scoreless for the following blocks of time in the second half: 5:07, 4:03, 2:49 and 2:12 — a collective 14:11 of action.
Combined with the Lions' multiple scoring droughts, a 15-2 UC Davis scoring run that spanned 4:31 and ended with two free throws from
Kennedy Koehler, gave the Aggies a 63-61 advantage with 3:13 remaining.
LMU's Parker Dortch tied the game at 63 with his layup, scored with 3:13 on the clock, before Gonzalez hit a free throw to help his team regain the lead.
The score remained 64-63, Aggies, until Johansson scored what the Lions thought was the game-winning shot with three ticks on the clock. As the final seconds played out, that was more than enough time for the Aggies to draw up one final play, that covered the entire backcourt until Mooney drained his shot from just above the CA Heritage Logo near the midcourt line.
"I have a lot of confidence in Joe," said head coach
Jim Les. "With 3.4 seconds, and the ball in his hands, we told him that he had two dribbles, maybe three if he needed that extra one. I watched the flight of that ball, and it looked like money the whole way."
"We executed that play just like Coach Les drew it up," said a thrilled Mooney following the game. "Damion [Squire] hit me on the run with the pass, I took two dribbles, a quick cross, and took my shot."
Koehler scored eight of his career-high 13 points after halftime, shot 3 of 4 overall and connected on all six of his shots at the free throw line, another career high. Gonzalez hit all four of his baskets from three and earned all 13 of his points after halftime.
Elijah Pepper led all Aggies with six rebounds, followed by Mooney and his five.
For the second half, UC Davis shot .500 overall (12-for-24), .467 from three (7-for-15) and .800 at the line (12-for-15) to outscore the Lions, 43-27.
Monday's win took place after a whirlwind weekend that saw the Aggies play at San Diego on Saturday, travel back to Davis on Sunday before returning to Hamilton Court the following night. UC Davis will now enjoy a lengthier break since the last of three consecutive games against West Coast Conference opponents will take place in Saturday's 2 p.m. game at San Francisco.
TOGETHER, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING
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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.
