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HONOLULU — Stefan Gonzalez scored a season-high 21 points by hitting a career-high seven shots from three (out of 10 attempts), and Ezra Manjon led all Aggies with 22 points on 9 of 15 shooting Saturday night in Honolulu.
 
In a game that included 10 lead changes — three took place throughout the final three minutes — UC Davis forced Hawai'i's 15th turnover of the game on a shot clock violation with 17 seconds remaining, leading by one. Fouled two seconds later, the Aggies pushed that lead to two at the free throw line until Eddie Stansbury hit a three that turned the Rainbow Warriors' deficit into a 76-75 lead — one that stood as the game's final score when the final horn sounded three seconds later.
 
UC Davis will return to The Pavilion for a pair of games, starting with Thursday's 7 p.m. matchup vs. UC Irvine, with an 8-13 overall and 2-3 Big West record. After escaping with the win, Hawai'i will remain in first place, entering next week's league slate, at 13-6 and 4-1.
 
"Those guys competed and worked their tails off," said head coach Jim Les. "This team is going to win a lot of games if they bring that effort day in and day out.
 
"I thought these guys deserved to win, and it took a heck of a shot from Hawai'i. Give them credit: When they absolutely had to make a shot, they did it."
 
Responsible for 18 of UC Davis' 38 points in the first half, Gonzalez singlehandedly silenced the crowd at inside the Stan Sheriff Center with a jaw-dropping shooting display from three. Of his seven attempts before halftime, he nailed six shots.
 
"Stefan can shoot like this, we see it all the time in practice. He shot our way into some confidence. With everyone seeing the ball go through the net, they settled down and started playing with confidence as well," said Les.
 
Hawai'i opened action by scoring 14 of the game's first 20 points, but a young Aggie squad responded with a 13-2 run, which included 10 unanswered, to take a 19-16 lead midway through the half.
 
By scoring 10 of the next 15 points, the Rainbow Warriors bounced back to take a five-point lead of their own; these teams traded baskets until Manjon ended the half by hitting a shot just before the buzzer to pull the Aggies within four at 42-38.

What took place throughout most of the first half carried over into the second half: After UC Davis scoring run, UH would respond with one of its own only to watch the Aggies bounce back with another scoring surge. When the 'Bows forced the ball out of Gonzalez and Manjon's hands, other Aggies stepped up and made clutch shots.
 
Damion Squire scored all six of his points in the second half; Matt Neufeld also hit a couple of baskets down low and was primarily responsible for his team's 14 points in the paint.
 
Of his 22 points, Manjon scored 16 throughout the second half through a variety of ways. Whether it was a layup, a running floater or a jumper, UH struggled to neutralize the first-year guard's scoring prowess.
 
"It's not too often throughout my coaching tenure that I tell people to get the ball to the freshman. And we did. Matt and Kennedy Koehler set some great ball screens, and Ezra's change of pace and ability to score in the paint helped him rise up and shoot with confidence," Les added.
 
"I liked our physicality, we had a presence to us and we got after them. This is a tough result … but we will learn from it, grow and continue to get better."
 
Following Thursday's home game against the Anteaters, the Aggies will host Cal Poly in the back-half of Saturday's home basketball doubleheader. Tipoff against the Mustangs will take place at 5 p.m. or 35 minutes after the preceding women's game ends.
 
 
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.