Follow UC Davis: Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook
  
DAVIS, Calif. —  Leading by two with 90 seconds remaining in Saturday's non-conference game at the Pavilion, Matt Neufeld was fouled on a dunk, and made the ensuing free throw to push UC Davis' lead to 60-55. That three-point play, combined with NIU's inability to make a basket for final 1:43 of the game due to the Aggies' defense — the Huskies' only points during that timespan were scored at the line  — led to a 66-57 UC Davis victory.
 
Returning home after a month-long eight-game road swing, the Aggies will enter their Finals Week hiatus with a 4-7 record. Northern Illinois will return home with a 6-4 record.

"This result was a week-to-10-days in the making. As a staff, we talked to the guys and focused on our habits every day. Let's continue to stress defense, and execution, and ball pressure every practice. We wanted to get everybody ramped up on defense and play with aggression and purpose, and the results would take care of themselves," said head coach Jim Les. 

"Every day, the guys came in with energy and played with full effort. I'm seeing the progress, and reminding them to stay with it, continue to get better and not get caught up with the results. And that led to a pair of great second-half efforts at Northern Arizona and tonight," Les added.
 
UC Davis led 36-34 at halftime, and extended that lead to a nine-point margin thanks to a 13-6 run that covered the first 10 minutes of the second half.
 
The Huskies were able to trim that deficit to five throughout the next two minutes of action, but the Aggies' trademark defense bumped their lead to 10 with 5:14 remaining. An 8-0 scoring run pulled NIU within two until Neufeld's and-one ended all momentum created by the Huskies' scoring run, and jump-started UC Davis' final scoring surge of the night.
 
That play started a game-ending 7-2 run for the Aggies. On one end of the floor, UC Davis did not allow NIU to create a clean look, let alone a quality opportunity to record a field goal for the rest of the night. On the other end of the court, it connected on seven of their final nine free throws to earn another home victory.
 
Northern Illinois never possessed a lead at any point of Saturday's game, and the Aggies' defense was a key reason why. Held to 29 pct. shooting from the floor in the second half, the Huskies fared no better from three since they only hit 2 of 16 attempts (13 pct.) from distance after halftime.
 
Led by Stefan Gonzalez' 11, the Aggies' bench outscored their counterparts 22-18. The senior guard was one of UC Davis' two double-digit scorers as Joe Mooney continued his stellar play by scoring a game-high 17 points on 6 of 10 shooting.
 
UC Davis led for all but 1:41 of their second home game of the season.

"As much we talk about the process, I know that with a young group, they need to see a result and see their hard work pay off. I am really proud of all of them for the attitude they display, and the way they buy-in to what we are teaching. We are watching some young guys grow up before our eyes, and the senior leadership has been rock-solid these last 10 days in leading their team down the path of success," Les added.
 
Off for the week due to final exams, the Aggies will seek their third win in a row when they head to San Diego on Dec. 14 for the first of three straight games against West Coast Conference opposition. After UC Davis returns to the Pavilion to host Loyola Marymount on Dec. 16, it will head to San Francisco five days later for its final pre-Christmas contest.
 
 
 
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.