Follow UC Davis: Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook
 
UC Davis Postgame Press Conference — Ezra Manjon, Damion Squire and Head Coach Jim Les


LAS VEGAS – Of the game-high 16 points earned by Ezra Manjon in Thursday's Big West Championship quarterfinal against CSU Bakersfield, it was his reverse layup, scored with one second remaining, that lifted UC Davis to a 58-56 victory and a berth in Friday's 6 p.m. semifinal against UC Santa Barbara at the Air Force Reserve Men's Basketball Championship, presented by the Hawaiian Islands. In addition to collecting their seventh victory in the last eight played, Thursday's thriller improved the Aggies' overall record to 10-7. By suffering a loss in their inaugural Championship appearance, the Roadrunners ended their first year in the Big West at 15-11.
 
In a game that remained within a one-possession margin either way throughout the final 4:36, free throws from Manjon and Elijah Pepper gave the Aggies a two-point lead with two minutes remaining.
 
Following a jumper from Czar Perry, which tied the game at 54, Damion Squire beat his defender at the free throw line and drove hard to the basket, which helped UC Davis regain a two-point lead with 30 seconds left to play.
 
This back-and-forth battle continued moments later when Taze Moore's jumper led to the game's fifth tied score with 20 seconds remaining, creating an opportunity for UC Davis to run the final play of regulation in the process since his basket took place with ample time remaining on the shot clock. 
 
Instead of taking a timeout, head coach Jim Les let his players decide the ultimate outcome  — a choice that ended with Manjon's clutch layup that forced the Roadrunners to launch a desperation full-court heave that hit the floor as the buzzer sounded.
  
Known for its defense and free throw shooting — the Aggies are the No. 1 team in the league at the line and have been throughout the last two seasons — both played a key role throughout Thursday's quarterfinal from Las Vegas at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
 
During one portion of the game, UC Davis forced six Roadrunner turnovers within a four-minute timespan — a block of action highlighted by Ade Adebayo's frustrating defense since he forced an errant pass and blocked a shot on consecutive CSUB possessions. 

Those possessions shifted the game's momentum as UC Davis' physicality increased for the final minutes of the first half and carried over to the second once action resumed after halftime.

Until Adebayo entered the game, the Roadrunners' scored a majority of their points in the paint; following those defensive stops, CSUB struggled to score underneath the basket and became visibly frustrated whenever the Aggies created fast-break opportunities off its turnovers.
 
Seventeen of the Aggies' points were scored off their opponent's 18 miscues.
 
In addition to hitting half of their 46 shots from the floor, the Aggies also scored another 10 points out of their 12 trips to the stripe.
 
UC Davis basketball fans can watch Friday's semifinal on ESPN3, listen to Scott Marsh's call on Sports 1140 KHTK, follow the action through live stats or in-game Twitter updates.
 
 
 
 
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.