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DAVIS, Calif. – In a game that featured seven lead changes and 12 tied scores, clutch plays from UC Davis throughout Saturday's Big West game at the Pavilion, especially throughout the final minutes of the second half, helped it erase an eight-point deficit and keep its second matchup against UC Santa Barbara, in as many days, within one possession either way throughout the final 8:12 of regulation.
 
Of the eight threes the Aggies hit throughout the game, Ezra Manjon's deep attempt beat the shot clock with less than a minute remaining, and doubled as the final field goal for a UC Davis squad that entered its first overtime contest of the season 46 seconds later.
 
Even though UC Santa Barbara scored the first four points in OT after teams traded possessions for nearly the first two minutes, the Aggies pulled within one and regained possession, thanks to a heads-up play on defense by Elijah Pepper with 35 seconds on the clock, after turning a potential Jaquori McLaughlin layup into a jump-ball situation. 
 
With the arrow pointing the Aggies' way, Pepper singlehandedly created an opportunity for his team to regain the lead. Following its missed jumper, UC Davis was forced to stop the clock by fouling, which allowed the Gauchos to extend their lead to 89-86 after connecting on two free throws. 
 
After inbounding the ball from one side of the court with 15 seconds left in OT, the Aggies raced to the opposite end and created an opportunity to push the game into double-overtime with a three-point attempt from the near corner, which bounced a couple times around the rim before falling to the floor as the buzzer sounded.    
With its three-point victory, UCSB extended its win streak to eight games and will continue the season with a 12-3 overall and 6-2 Big West record. When UC Davis travels to Southern California for its next set of games, which starts Friday with a 4 p.m. contest at CSUN, it will return to action with records of 3-5 and 0-2.
 
"When I walked into the locker room (after the game), I told those guys I was awfully proud to be an Aggie tonight. This was not the result they deserved, or we wanted … before this is all said and done, this can be a really good basketball team. Our transformation from Friday to Saturday gave us a glimpse of what that looks like and I'm really excited about that," said head coach Jim Les.
 
Les added: "Other than telling them how proud I was of them and how proud I am to be an Aggie, I told the guys this is what Aggie basketball looks like. And now, the challenge for us is this is to play like this day in and day out.
 
"If we can do that, this team is going to have a lot of fun in the next month and a half."
 
Led by Pepper and his career-high 23 points, another three Aggies finished in double figures with Manjon recording 19, Kennedy Koehler ending with 13 and Christian Anigwe setting a new career high by finishing with 13.
 
Pepper also led all Aggies with eight rebounds; as a team, UC Davis finished with a 36-31 rebound advantage.
 
 
 
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.