Follow UC Davis: Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook
 
 
DAVIS, Calif. – Of the four career-high totals recorded by Elijah Pepper in Saturday's Big West Conference game at the Pavilion, it was his sixth three, hit with 10 seconds remaining in overtime, that led to UC Davis' 78-76 victory over Long Beach State. 

Pepper finished with 32 points, recorded six of his 11 field goals from three, and led all players with five steals, all career-high totals.

By sweeping the Beach in this weekend's series, the Aggies will enter their bye week on a three-game overall win streak with records of 6-6 overall and 3-3 in league play. In addition to sweeping the season series for the third time in the last four years, UC Davis also extended its head-to-head win streak to five games and its home win streak against the Beach to six.
 
"This feels amazing, especially following Friday's game," said Pepper, when asked about this weekend's sweep over Long Beach State. "This is a great momentum builder entering our next set of games following next week's bye."

As was the case in Friday's victory, UC Davis' defense played also played key role in the final result since it forced LBSU to turn the ball over 21 times, which led to 18 points for the Aggies. 

"I thought the 21 turnovers led to transition baskets and easy layups. When you get a little juice from your defense, that creates good offensive chances for us," said UC Davis head coach Jim Les. 
 
Responsible for the game-winning layup in Friday's series opener, Ezra Manjon came up clutch once again in the final seconds of regulation in Saturday's game when his layup tied the score at 67 apiece, and forced another five minutes of action. 

In the Aggies' second overtime game of the season — both took place on Hamilton Court — Kennedy Koehler gave his team the lead 15 seconds into OT by powering his way through the paint and scoring on a layup of his own. After LBSU recorded its first points nearly a minute later, a jumper from Caleb Fuller helped the Aggies regain the lead 20 seconds later.

Long Beach State never led after regulation, but it did tie the game twice before B.J. Shaw's pull-up jumper and another basket from Manjon, scored on consecutive UC Davis possessions, gave it a four-point lead with 51 seconds remaining.

Following a pair of free throws from Chance Hunter, which cut LBSU's deficit in half, Pepper responded with his clutch three, which sealed the victory for a UC Davis team that will enjoy a week off before returning to action on Feb. 26 at Cal Poly.

"I told everyone that we had some really good looks throughout the game ... but if we shoot the ball like we normally do, continue to defend and make tough plays, eventually, the game is going to reward you and you'll see those shots fall," said Les.

"I'm proud of the toughness everyone showed since we didn't we didn't play a great first half, yet we were only down three because of our toughness and tenacity. The guys respect the game, and especially in conference play when everything ramps up a notch competitively and the pressure mounts, they enjoy and embrace the moment and that's that's a lot of fun to watch."
 

 
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.