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DAVIS, Calif. – An 8-0 UC Davis run, combined with a three-minute UC Santa Barbara scoring drought in the second half helped the Aggies climb within striking distance in Friday's Big West opener, but the Gauchos ended up pulling away as action continued to secure a 72-51 win in the first of two head-to-head matchups scheduled this weekend.
 
Playing in their first league game of the year following a seven-week pause in competition, the Aggies will return to Bob Hamilton Court for Saturday's 4 p.m. series finale with a 3-4 overall and 0-1 league record. UC Santa Barbara, the only team in the conference to play all of its games as originally scheduled, will return to the Pavilion with records of 11-3 and 5-2.
 
BigWest.TV will provide a video stream and 1380 AM The Answer will carry Scott Marsh's audio broadcast of Saturday's  contest. 
 
In addition to hitting all six of his free throws and recording two of his three baskets from three, Damion Squire led all scorers with 14 points, Elijah Pepper added another nine for the Aggies and B.J. Shaw ended his night with seven points and a career-high nine rebounds.
 
UC Davis' second-half scoring run started with free throws from Manjon and continued moments later with a steal from Squire, which led to a fastbreak layup. A three from Squire and another coast-to-coast layup, this time from Manjon, pulled UC Davis within 12 with 12:41 remaining.
 
"In the second half, we had a scoring that helped us get going offensively and did some really good things, but we were unable to get the defensive stops we needed," said UC Davis head coach Jim Les.
 
"We are going to break down the tape and make some necessary adjustments to be successful on Saturday. Defensively, we need to become locked in execute a little bit better (on defense), have a little more intensity and aggressiveness on the floor and be patient to get the shot we want, not the shot they want."

 

ABOUT UC DAVIS
Over 700 student-athletes across 25 intercollegiate athletics teams, following the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, are enrolled in 71 of more than 100 academic programs at the fifth-ranked public school in the nation.
 
Centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley, UC Davis is known nationwide as a leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, ranks annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
 
UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.