Davis, Calif. — The UC Davis men's basketball team used a strong defensive effort in in the second half to claim a season opening, 86-51 win against Jessup University Monday night at the University Credit Union Center.
The Aggies (1-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Elijah Pepper, who had 21 points, six rebounds and six steals to tie a career-high. Ade Adebayo turned in one of his best games ever in an Aggie uniform, tacking on 14 points, while also adding six rebounds and a game-high two blocks. The 14 points tonight for Adebayo tied a career-high. Francesco Borra rounded out the crew, chipping in as well with 12 points off of the bench, eight of those coming during the second half of play.
Niko Rocak pulled down four offensive rebounds to lead the UC Davis offense which grabbed 17 boards and turned them into 16 second chance points. The Aggies hauled in 46 rebounds, compared the Warriors 30 to win the rebound battle tonight.
Head Coach Jim Les believed his team made some undisciplined plays in the early portion of the game but really enjoyed how his team came alive during the second half. "I thought the response after halftime was really good." Coach Les believed Adebayo really ignited the group in the second half with his play. "I thought Ade in particular (stood out), defensively in that first five-six minute period... it was amazing how one guy can energize the other four on the floor."
Pairing the special play from Adebayo tonight, the UC Davis defense as a unit held Jessup shooters to just 34 percent from the field, including 26.3 percent from three-point range. A big part of that came down to the play of the aforementioned Adebayo, as well as Sione Losé who recorded a whopping +/- of +37 in 15 minutes action, disrupting the opposition while serving as a connector on the offensive end.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After falling behind 28-23, UC Davis went on a 13-0 run with 4:55 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Leo Debruhl, to take a 36-28 lead. Stringing together some key stops, the Aggies at one point forced 10 turnovers within the span of three minutes to completely shift the momentum. After settling in, the Aggies entered halftime with a 36-30 advantage. UC Davis capitalized on 19 turnovers in the period, turning them into 16 points on the other end of the floor.
Following intermission, UC Davis kept widening that lead, expanding it to 43-35 before going on a 26-0 run to grow the lead to 69-35 with 5:38 to go in the contest. The Aggies kept expanding the margin, ultimately ending with a commanding 86-51 win. UC Davis' depth really stood out tonight, after the Aggies got a boost with non-starters accounting for 27 of the team's 50 total points in the second half.
Game Notes
» The Aggies held the Warriors to only 34 percent shooting from the field.
» After taking their first lead with 3:39 left in the first half, UC Davis controlled the second half of play, never trailing during the final 20 minutes of play.
» UC Davis tallied 17 total assists in the game.
» The Aggie bench came alive tonight, scoring 36 points with a bulk of the production coming from Borra.
» The Aggies out-rebounded the Warriors, 46-30.
» UC Davis defense forced 29 turnovers.
» The Aggies were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording six blocks as a team with Adebayo leading the game with two.
» UC Davis cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.
» Pepper led the Aggies with a game-high 21 points, scoring 19 of those points in the first half.
» UC Davis got a game-high seven rebounds from both Rocak and Tamba.
UP NEXT
The Ags will remain in Davis to host Pepperdine University on Nov. 9 at the University Credit Union Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Stay in the loop with everything related to UC Davis men's basketball by following the Aggies on all of their social media platforms.
Instagram | X | Facebook
