DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis (6-6, 1-0) opened up Big West play with a statement victory over UC Santa Barbara (7-4, 0-1) on Thursday night, winning 76-62 at University Credit Union Center charged by a game-high 27 points from Elijah Pepper.
Pepper's 27 points came on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting, including five three-pointers. The Aggies also got contributions from Niko Rocak who left his imprint all over the stat sheet, as he finished the night with eight points, six rebounds, three steals and three blocks. The orchestrator of the offense tonight was Ty Johnson, as he dished out a game-high 10 assists with zero turnovers, to go along with nine points.
UC Davis' offense fed off the energy Johnson was bringing tonight as they displayed excellent ball movement from tip-off, assisting on 18 of their 27 field goals, while limiting their turnovers to just 10.
UC Davis was also aggressive on defense, forcing 16 turnovers from the Gauchos and converting them into 22 points. The previously mentioned Rocak led the team with three steals, while Johnson and
Leo DeBruhl each had two. The Aggies also outrebounded the Gauchos 35-30, grabbing seven offensive boards that resulted in 11 second-chance points for the Aggies.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game was close in the first half, with UC Davis holding a slim 39-34 lead at the break. After the Gauchos stormed to an early 4-0 lead, the Aggies countered with a 7-0 run early in the half to take a 7-4 lead, and never trailed again. Pepper scored 15 points in the first half, while Rocak added six points, four rebounds and two blocks.
The second half was a different story, as UC Davis pulled away with a dominant performance. The Aggies opened the half with a 12-8 run to extend their lead to 51-42, and then went on a 8-0 spurt to make it 59-42 with 12:27 left. The Gauchos never got closer than 14 points after that, as UC Davis never took their foot off the gas, coming out at the end of this one with a convincing, 76-62 win to open up Big West play.
Pepper scored 12 more points in the second half, while Johnson had seven points and six assists. UC Davis improved to 6-6 overall and 1-0 in the conference, while UC Santa Barbara dropped to 7-4 and 0-1. The Aggies will look to continue their momentum when they host Cal Poly on Saturday, while the Gauchos will try to bounce back when they visit UC Riverside on the same day.
GAME NOTES
» UC Davis never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» UC Davis tallied 18 total assists in the game.
» Ty Johnson recorded 10 assists for UC Davis.
» UC Davis had a 35-30 edge on the boards in the win.
» The UC Davis defense forced 16 turnovers.
» The Aggies were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording five blocks as a team.
» Elijah Pepper led the Aggies with a game-high 27 points.
» UC Davis got a team-high six rebounds from Niko Rocak.
» Leo DeBruhl produced a game-high +13, plus/minus.
