DAVIS, Calif. — The race for first place in the Big West continues this week, as the UC Davis men's basketball team has a vital two-game homestand at the University Credit Union Center, hosting Long Beach State Thursday night, followed up by a matchup with UC Riverside on Saturday.

Feb. 15 vs. Long Beach State | 6 p.m. Tip-off (Davis, Calif.) | ESPN+
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Feb. 17 vs. UC Riverside | 2 p.m. Tip-off (Davis, Calif.) | ESPN+
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LAST TIME
UC Davis secured a commanding 71-58 victory over Cal State Fullerton on their home court this past Thursday. The Aggies' staunch defense effectively stifled the Titans, limiting them to a mere 3-of-17 shooting from beyond the arc, translating to a meager 17.6 percent success rate from deep.

Elijah Pepper and Ty Johnson showcased their consistent prowess for UC Davis in this one, collectively combining for 36 points.

Pepper emerged as a standout performer for UC Davis in the game, tallying a game-high 19 points while also distributing four assists. Notably, he spearheaded the Aggies' efforts on both ends of the court, amassing four steals to bolster an aggressive defensive display that forced 13 turnovers.

In addition to his game-high scoring mark, Pepper attained yet another notable milestone, solidifying his position as the third highest scorer in Big West history.

The following game in Hawai'i, despite Elijah Pepper's impressive game-high 27 points and Ty Johnson's double-figure performance, which included 15 points and six rebounds, UC Davis fell short against the Rainbow Warriors on Saturday night, succumbing to an 87-70 defeat.

While the Aggies saw three players reach double digits, with Pepper leading the charge and Johnson and Kane Milling contributing 15 and 12 points respectively, their efforts weren't enough to secure the win as the hot-shooting Rainbow Warriors finished the game with a remarkable 60% effort from deep to outpace the Aggies.


AGGIES IN THE RANKINGS

• #25 in NCAA in Turnovers Forced Per Game.
• Pepper ranked #13 in NCAA in Points Per Game, #12 in Three-Pointers Per Game.
• Ty Johnson and Pepper entered the season as the top returning backcourt scoring duo in the country and both are top-10 in the Big West in scoring this season.
• In Conference Only statistics, the Aggies rank:
  • #1 in steals
  • #2 in opponent three-point defense
  • #2 in opponent field goal percentage
  • #2 in scoring defense
  • 13-1 in games in which Aggies are tied for or lead in rebounding battle.
• Elijah Pepper also is averaging a conference leading 21.1 points per game. He was also announced as one of the 40 names to the 2023-24 Lou Henson mid-season Watch List.
• Ty Johnson is top-10 in the conference in all assist categories during conference play.
• Niko Rocak ranks first in the conference in blocks per game during conference play.
• Pepper and Johnson are the lone players in Big West action to be averaging two or more steals.
• Ty Johnson and Elijah Pepper entered this season as the top returning scoring backcourt in all of the NCAA and this season are ranked second in all of the country in points per game as a guard duo (37.6 PPG between the pair), only trailing Hofstra's backcourt.

ELIJAH PEPPER RECORD WATCH

• Pepper is the all-time leading scorer in Aggie history with 2,109 points and counting.
• He sits at third all-time in the Big West's history of leading scorers and trails the Big West career scoring record by just 204 points, a record held by Lucious Harris (LBSU, 122 games - 1989-93).
• He needs only 19 points to become the second-highest scorer in Big West history.
• Pepper is also now UC Davis' holder for the all-time career steals record sitting atop the list with 209 in his career. He achieved the feat when the Aggies faced UC Riverside on Jan. 4.

DYNAMIC DUO
Ty Johnson and Elijah Pepper entered this season as the top returning scoring backcourt in all of the NCAA and this season are ranked second in all of the country in points per game as a guard duo (37.6 PPG between the pair), only trailing Hofstra's backcourt of Tyler Thomas, and Darlinstone Dubar.

Johnson is also establishing himself as one of the best point of attack defenders in the conference, leading the league with 2.0 steals per game in Big West games. His running mate Elijah Pepper is tied with him atop the list as the duo forms one of the most complete two-way backcourts in the country.

DEFENSIVE IMPACT
Niko Rocak has been one of the most impactful defenders in Big West play, as seen by him breaking a single game school-record with six blocks in the Aggies win against UC Irvine on Jan. 20. The six blocks leads the conference for most in a game this season.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
Long Beach State is led by dynamic scorer Marcus Tsohonis as well as the trio of Aboubacar Traore, Jadon Jones, and Lassina Traore. Recognized for their wins in the non-conference against USC and Michigan, the Beach use their physicality to initiate contact for free-throws and to try and win the rebound battle every night. The Beach rank 14th in the nation in free throw attempts per game while both Traore's lead the conference in rebounds per game. Long Beach State enters the contest with a record of 15-9. The all-time series between the two programs sits at 13-25 with the Beach holding the advantage.

UC Riverside is led by last season's Big West Coach of the Year Mike Magpayo. The Highlanders this year have fallen in love with the three-ball, ranking 21st in the country in attempts per game from deep. As a result, the Highlanders capitalize on long offensive rebounds and rank 32nd in offensive rebounds game. The Aggies downed UC Riverside earlier in the season with a 83-63 win down in Riverside on Jan. 4. The all-time series between the two programs sits at 39-38 with the Aggies holding the slight advantage.