DAVIS, Calif. — Despite a stellar performance from Ty Johnson, who scored 22 points and added five rebounds and five assists, the UC Davis men's basketball team suffered a 67-61 defeat to the UC Riverside Highlanders at the University Credit Union Center on Saturday.
The Aggies (15-11, 10-5) tried to rally back with a strong defensive effort in the second half but a late dagger three-pointer by the Highlander's Wil Tattersall proved to be the decider, as he accounted for two, key three-point makes for a Highlander squad that made just six throughout the game.
After trailing 32-27 at the break, UC Davis was able to close the gap in the second half with notable contributions from the likes of
Niko Rocak, who had totals of seven points, seven rebounds and three blocks, and
Kane Milling, who scored 12 points, settling in alongside Johnson as the lone pair of Aggies in double-figures tonight.
Defensively the energy and effort changed in the second half as UC Davis got back to turning over their opponents. Carrying over a strong 4-0 run from the first half into the second, the Aggies opened up the final 20 minutes of action extending that run, to an 11-0 Aggie run. This would inject energy into the fans in attendance as the second half effort would eventually lead to forcing three straight turnovers for the Highlanders and give the Aggies their first lead of the game at the 17:02 mark.
The defensive prowess throughout the game was also characterized by the Aggies ability to protect the paint, as UC Davis came away with blocking five shots, as Rocak led the team with his three swats.
Even with this late surge from the Aggies, timely shot-making from UC Riverside and getting neccessary stops on the other end were too much to overcome. The Highlanders limited UC Davis to a 21.1 percent effort from beyond the arc while four different Highlanders reached double-figures offensively.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Aggies trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, but they mounted a comeback with a 5-0 spurt, capped by a Johnson layup, to make it 27-21 with 4:52 remaining. They continued to chip away at the Highlanders' lead, and cut it to 32-27 at the break.
UC Davis came out of the locker room with a renewed energy, and quickly erased the deficit with a 7-0 run, highlighted by a Rocak three-pointer, to take a 34-32 lead with 17:02 left in the game.
However, UC Riverside responded with a 9-0 burst of its own, and never relinquished the lead again. The Highlanders narrowly outscored the Aggies 35-34 in the second half, and secured a 67-61 victory.
UC Davis tried to take advantage of UC Riverside's nine turnovers in the half, scoring nine points off them, but it was not enough to overcome the Highlanders' effort.
GAME NOTES
» The Aggies were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording five blocks as a team.
» Ty Johnson led the Aggies with a game-high 22 points.
» Johnson has reached 20+ points in 10 games this season.
» UC Davis got a team-high seven rebounds from Niko Rocak.
» Kane Milling added an efficient 12 points on 6-10 shooting.
UP NEXT
UC will have a two-game road trip next week, first against CSUN on Thursday, Feb. 22, followed up with Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, Feb. 24.
