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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!  
 
 
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Shortly after tipoff in Thursday's Big West road game at the Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo, UC Davis erased an early 8-6 Cal Poly lead by scoring 15 of the following 20 points, to hold a 21-13 advantage of its own. As the half progressed, the Mustangs evened things up at 25-25 to record the game's only tied score.

Cal Poly's early lead, and that scoring run were its only highlights of the night because UC Davis did not allow another point for the final 5:40 of the half, and scored nine unanswered to take a 34-25 lead at halftime.
 
Once action resumed, the Aggies continued to dominate CP, and responded to every one of its scoring runs with well-timed outbursts of their own, combined with a defense that frustrated the Mustangs from the opening tip, until the final buzzer, to record a 63-53 win and sweep this season's series.
 
"There were a couple times this game where we bent, but did not break," said head coach Jim Les. "We dug in, and when we had to make plays on either end of the floor, we did that."
 
UC Davis will now shift its focus to Saturday night's 9 p.m. ESPNU broadcast at UC Santa Barbara, and will enter the Thunderdome with a 7-14 overall and 3-4 Big West record.
 
In addition to forcing Cal Poly (5-16, 1-7 BWC) to shoot .333 overall (9-for-27) in the first half, compared to the Aggies who posted a .560 shooting clip by connecting on 14 of 25 shots before the break, UC Davis forced the Mustangs to turn the ball over 15 times — the most in any Big West game this season.
 
Known for its ball protection, the Mustangs stepped onto its home court averaging 12 turnovers a game; they also averaged 65 points per game prior to facing the Aggies' trademark defense — one that frustrated them all night long.
 
"I thought our off-the-ball activity was really good," said Les regarding the Aggies' defense. "They try to hit guys off the roll, or lob balls over the top, but we got our hands on the ball. And we came up with the 50/50 balls, which is huge because you cannot just get your hands on it, you need to get the possession.
 
"They try to spread you out and attack, I thought our activity off the ball was solid because we shrunk the floor," he added.   
 
Senior communication major TJ Shorts II's 18 points and seven assists were game-high figures; junior economics major Joe Mooney continued his stellar shooting throughout league play by hitting three of his five baskets from three, and all four free throw attempts to finish with 17 points.
 
By scoring nine, senior communication major Siler Schneider will head to UC Santa Barbara with 1,337 career points, one shy of matching Josh Ritchart's (2011-15) total. On his next basket, Schneider will occupy fourth place on the program's Division I era and move to 11th on the all-time career scoring list.
 
In addition to scoring eight points and finishing with a game-high six rebounds, junior communication major Matt Neufeld was singlehandedly responsible for four of the team's eight blocked shots, a new career high that is the most by any Aggie this season.
 
Those blocks match a program record for the most by the Aggies in a Big West game, tying a total that last took place at home against Cal State Fullerton on March 10, 2017. Coincidentally, UC Davis also recorded eight blocks in another two games against Cal Poly, both at home, when it hosted the Mustangs during the 2007-08 and 2010-11 seasons.
 
With Thursday's result, the Aggies extended their win streak against CP to five games, and won 10 of the last 13 matchups.
 
 
 
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.