HONOLULU, HI. — A game-high 27 points from Elijah Pepper and another double figure performance by Ty Johnson, who added 15 points and six boards, was not enough for UC Davis as the Aggies suffered a 87-70 defeat at the hands of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Saturday night.
The Aggies (15-9, 10-3) had three players in double digits, with Pepper leading the way and Johnson and Kane Milling contributing 15 and 12 points, respectively. Milling also had two steals, matching Johnson's team-high mark.
UC Davis was efficient all night when it came to taking care of the ball, committing only five turnovers while forcing 14 from Hawaii. The Aggies were even able to capitalize on those opportunities, scoring 13 points off turnovers, but despite this, the story of tonight's contest was Hawaii's hot-shooting offense, which shot 53.1% from the field and 60.0% from beyond the arc to outpace the Aggies.
The Aggies remain firmly in contention for the Big West title despite the loss, having won seven of their previous nine games. They will look to bounce back when they host Long Beach State on Thursday, Feb. 15. Then, they will face UC Riverside on Saturday, Feb. 17, as part of a two-game home-stand at the University Credit Union Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Aggies trailed by 10 points at the break, after shooting just 43.3% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range in the first half. Hawaii, on the other hand, was hot from the floor, making 71.4% of its shots and 81.8% of its triples.
The Rainbow Warriors continued to use this efficiency from the field in the second half, extending their lead to 14 points with less than two minutes remaining. The Aggies tried to mount a late comeback, scoring five quick points to cut the margin to nine, but Hawaii answered with a 10-2 run to seal the game at 87-70. The Aggies grabbed four offensive boards in the half, leading to seven second-chance points, but it was not enough to overcome Hawaii's offensive output.
GAME NOTES
» Elijah Pepper, Ty Johnson, and Kane Milling each reached double figures in scoring.
» The UC Davis defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Elijah Pepper led the Aggies with a game-high 27 points.
» UC Davis got a team-high seven rebounds from Niko Rocak.
» Ty Johnson and Kane Milling each had two steals for a team-high.
