STOCKTON, Calif. — Ty Johnson totaled a game-high 30 points to help lead the UC Davis men's basketball team past the Pacific Tigers 82-61 on the road Saturday.
The Aggies (4-5) had three players score in double figures, led by Johnson, who in addition to his 30 points, added a game-high four steals. Elijah Pepper tacked on 19 points and four assists as he continues to inch closer and closer to becoming UC Davis' all-time career scoring leader. He entered today's contest 49 points behind the program record for points scored, held by Audwin Thomas. Now, he is only 30 points away from breaking that record.
Kane Milling rounded out the double figure trio, helping out with 12 points and eight rebounds, which was a game-high.
Sione Losé was all over the court today, as he pulled down four offensive rebounds to lead the UC Davis offense which grabbed 11 boards and turned them into nine second chance points. Losé finished with four points, seven rebounds, and one assist in his return from injury, as he had missed slightly over a month of action. Losé also delivered an early play-of-the-year candidate during the second half, slamming home a putback on a missed three opportunity to put and exclamation on today's contest.
The UC Davis defense was a problem in Saturday's game, forcing 16 Pacific turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 21 points on the offensive end of the floor. Johnson's four steals led the way individually for the Aggies. Along with being a force in the steals department, the Aggies limited the Tigers to zero three-pointers in the second half and held them to just 29.4% from beyond the arc for the whole game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After falling behind 29-26, UC Davis went on a 10-0 run with 7:12 left in the first half, with a three from Johnson, boosting UC Davis to take a 36-29 lead. The Aggies then added two points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 43-34 advantage. UC Davis relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down six shots to account for 18 of its 43 points. Johnson was the driving force from this barrage from the perimeter, as he drilled five from downtown and set a new career-high for three-point field goals made.
Following intermission, UC Davis kept widening that lead, expanding it to 52-40 before going on an 11-0 run, finished off by Niko Rocak's layup, to grow the lead to 63-40 with 12:39 to go in the contest. The Tigers narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Aggies still cruised the rest of the way for the 82-61 win. UC Davis took care of business in the paint, recording 28 of its 39 points in the lane.
GAME NOTES
» UC Davis lit it up from three point land, knocking down eight treys in the game.
» UC Davis never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» UC Davis had a 32-16 edge on the boards in the win.
» The UC Davis defense forced 16 turnovers.
» UC Davis cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Ty Johnson led the Aggies with a game-high 30 points.
» UC Davis got a game-high eight rebounds from Kane Milling.
