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ANAHEIM, Calif. – It's called March Madness for a reason, and fans in attendance for UC Davis' quarterfinal matchup versus Cal State Fullerton were treated to another thrilling battle between these two teams at the Big West Conference Tournament, hosted by the Honda Center.

Led by senior communication major TJ Shorts II's season-high 28 points, and junior communication major Matt Neufeld's 16, UC Davis tied the game at 67-67, thanks to junior economic major Joe Mooney's jumper in the paint, with 25 seconds left in regulation, to force overtime.

Cal State Fullerton did have a chance to break that tie in regulation, since it had the option to play for the final shot, but saw its effort thwarted thanks to a heads-up play on defense, one of many that took place throughout the afternoon. 

Throughout the first 39-plus minutes of action, it was timely charges drawn by the Aggies that ended potential Cal State Fullerton scoring runs, and allowed them to hold the lead for more than 26 minutes of the game. On the Titans' final possession of regulation, it was a jump-ball situation that gave UC Davis a chance to break that tie since the possession arrow was pointed in its favor when the tie-up occurred in the paint

With five seconds on the clock, senior communication major Siler Schneider raced downcourt to give his team one good look at the rim before the buzzer sounded, but saw his layup attempt blocked out of bounds. On the following play, which originated on the baseline on the opposite side of the Aggies' bench, Neufeld quickly caught a lob pass near the free throw line and followed with a hook shot, taken with less than a second on the scoreboard, that danced around the rim before falling to the floor. 

The Titans scored the first five points in overtime on Kyle Allman Jr.'s three-point play, combined two free throws hit by Khalil Ahmad. But the Aggies battled back throughout the following two minutes to pull within two.

A clutch three from senior psychology major AJ John brought the Aggie faithful in attendance to their feet, and chopped CSF's lead to two, and ultimately became the final field goal recorded by either team throughout the final 1:57 seconds since the teams traded free throws for the rest of the overtime period. 

"I'll be forever indebted to that group (of seniors)," Les said in postgame press conference . "For the championships they've brought to this program, for the wonderful ambassadors they've been for this program and the quality student-athletes that are going to be, in whatever they choose, very, very successful."

In their final game as an Aggie, Shorts II finished with a team-high 28 points, John posted seven points and four rebounds, senior economics major Garrison Goode added another five points and five rebounds (four collected on the offensive glass), and by scoring four points, Schneider ended his career tied for fifth all-time in scoring with 1,440, matching Mark Olson's (1972-76) total.

As a Tustin native, Thursday's quarterfinal also provided Shorts II to compete in front of friends and family for the final time as an Aggie.

"It's huge," an emotional Shorts II said of finishing his career at home. "I've got a good support system that came out and they support me every time I'm in Southern California. I definitely savor every moment I have down here and I'm just thankful for the opportunity I had to be able to play."

Highlighting what Shorts II meant to the program throughout his two years at UC Davis, Les added that he "couldn't be more proud of him. He'll go down, and this is my eighth season, but he'll go down as one of the best Aggies' I've coached. Maybe one of the best I've ever coached." 

UC Davis ends its season with an 11-20 overall record, Cal State Fullerton improved to 15-16 and will compete in one of two semifinals taking place Friday night in Anaheim. 

 
 
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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.