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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!  
 
 
DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis' defense immediately set the tone in Saturday's Big West Conference game at the Pavilion by holding Cal State Fullerton scoreless for the first six minutes and 12 seconds of the game, senior economics major Garrison tied an all-time record by blocking five shots, and two days after posting a season-low seven turnovers vs. UC Irvine, the team's ball protection was phenomenal since they only made nine miscues in a game that ended with a 66-59 Aggie victory.

Midway through its season-ending four-game homestand, UC Davis will return to the Pavilion for Thursday's 7 p.m. game vs. Hawai'i with an 11-17 overall and 7-7 Big West record. Saturday's win also snaps a four-game skid against a Cal State Fullerton team that will continue its season at 14-15 and 10-5.

Even more remarkable about Goode's all-time record-tying effort was the fact that he swatted all five shots throughout his first 12 minutes of playing time. By doing so, he became the first Aggie to finish with five blocks since Mike Kurtz accomplished this feat more than nine years ago at home versus Seattle University.

Led by senior communication major Siler Schneider and his career-high four steals, the Aggies also finished with 11 steals, a season-high total. 

"Those two guards (Kyle Allman Jr. and Khalil Ahmad) are as good as it gets, not just in the league but in the country," said UC Davis head coach Jim Les. "And when they got hot, I put Siler on them.

"He did a great job tonight: He drew charges, forced turnovers, contested shots, and I thought his teammates gave him great help, too," added Les regarding Schneider's defensive prowess, and that of his team on Saturday. 

What started with Cal State Fullerton's scoring woes continued until the final buzzer. By forcing 17 CSF turnovers, the Aggies made the most of those opportunities by scoring 20 of their points. Combined with their seven blocks, 33 rebounds and 30 points in the paint, UC Davis dominated play down low on both ends of the court; this is why Cal State Titans were held to 59 points, barely passing their season-low total of 52 in the final moments of the game.

UC Davis is now 6-1 this season when opponents score 59 points or less.

"We are playing our best when we create offensive opportunities off our defense," said Les.

Led by senior communication major TJ Shorts II, his game-high eight rebounds and 18 points, another game high and a total that includes a Division I-era record 14 made free throws, three Aggies scored double figures. In addition to his five rebounds, Schneider added another 14 points with junior economics major Joe Mooney finishing with 10. 

UC Davis led by two at halftime, but it was a 9-0 run early in the second half that snapped a 33-33 tie for good. 

What started with a three from Mooney continued with a layup from junior communication major Rogers Printup and a coast-to-coast fast break layup from Shorts II, which led to a technical foul on Titan head coach (and 1997 UC Davis alum) Dedrique Taylor for voicing his frustrations with too much passion, at that point of the game. 

Once Mooney hit both free throws, the Aggies led 42-33 and never looked back. 
 
The Titans did make things interesting towards the end by chipping UC Davis' lead down to a basket, with 59 seconds remaining, but a running floater in the paint from Shorts II, followed by a pair of his free throws when CSF fouled to stop the clock, bumped his team's cushion back to six.

Even though Ahmad's three shortly thereafter cut that lead in half, Shorts II pushed it back to five by canning another pair of free throws, followed by Schneider's steal at mid-court, and subsequent fast break layup to seal the result.

Ahmad and Allman Jr. led Cal State Fullerton with 18 and 17 points apiece, Jackson Rowe's 11 rebounds were one-third of his team's total. Austen Awosika, the fourth member of CSF's potent scoring quartet, did not score a point on any of his seven attempts from the floor. 

"I thought (tonight's game) was a gut-check opportunity for our guys to see what they were made of. And they showed me every bit of who they were tonight with the way they played and gutted out a win against a very good team," Les said.

Before arriving to the Pavilion, Cal State Fullerton won 10 of their previous 12 games.

 

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.