DAVIS, Calif. — The UC Davis men's basketball team delivered a complete team effort Saturday afternoon, dominating the Cal Poly Mustangs 71-46 to improve to 2-0 in Big West play.
The Aggies (7-6, 2-0 Big West) had a balanced scoring attack, with two players in double figures and six players scoring at least five points. Elijah Pepper led the way with a game-high 25 points, six rebounds, and two steals, while Kane Milling chipped in with 12 points and six boards. Niko Rocak and Ade Adebayo also finished today's contest each going a perfect 3-3 from the field.
Pepper sits atop the Big West scoring leaders, now averaging 20.9 points per game, as he is the only player in the conference currently averaging 20+ points.
Milling has also been cooking for the Aggies as of late. With his 12-point performance today, it marked the fifth straight game reaching double figures. Post-game, Milling attributed his recent success offensively to, "playing freely and having fun on the court."
Ty Johnson also made a positive impact on the game, especially on the defensive end. He finished with eight points, four assists, and a game-high four steals. Johnson also led the Aggies with a +25 in plus/minus.
The Aggies offense could be characterized by one word today: efficiency. Scoring at a high percentage from all three levels, the Aggies used a blistering 65% effort from the field in the second half supplement their lockdown defense. Most of the damage offensively came from the Aggies marksmanship from beyond the arc, making 10 of 20 attempts throughout the game. Pepper was the most prolific shooter for UC Davis, draining six of 11 treys.
The Aggies also shared the ball well, recording 10 assists on 24 made field goals. Through the first two league games, the Aggies have recorded a total of 28 assists.
The UC Davis defense was excellent again, holding Cal Poly to 32.7 percent shooting from the field and 15.4 percent from three-point range. UC Davis' defense allowed only 19 points in the second half to the Mustangs and surrendered only one field goal to Cal Poly in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
Through two contests, the Aggies hold the largest margin (+19.5) and top-ranked scoring defense in the Big West (54.0 PPG).
UC Davis also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Mustangs 34-27. This improves the Aggies' record to 6-1 in games where they win the rebound battle.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Aggies never trailed in the game, jumping out to a 12-2 lead after a 9-0 run which was capped off by a Pepper three-pointer with 17:43 left in the first half. The Mustangs clawed their way back into the game in the first half and cut the deficit to just six points at halftime, leaving the score to 33-27 after the first 20 minutes. Making the necessary adjustments, the final 20 minutes was a tale of two different stories as the Aggies quickly pulled away in the second half.
Extending their lead all the way to 21 points, the score extended to 66-45, with 1:31 remaining. The Mustangs failed to generate a rhythm offensively against the stout Aggie defense, only recording one field goal in the final 10 minutes. With the dominant performance, the Aggies held serve at home and enter the New Year with a 2-0 record in Big West action.
GAME NOTES
» The Aggies made half of their attempts from three point range, knocking down 10 of 20 shots.
» The Aggies held the Mustangs to only 32.7 percent shooting from the field.
» UC Davis never trailed on the way to a 71-46 victory.
» UC Davis had a stellar day defensively, holding Cal Poly to 15 percent from three point land on 13 attempts.
» UC Davis had a 34-27 edge on the boards in the win.
» Elijah Pepper led the Aggies with a game-high 25 points.
» UC Davis got six rebounds from both Elijah Pepper and Kane Milling.
