DAVIS, Calif. — The dynamic duo of Elijah Pepper and Ty Johnson shined in the final home game of the season for the Aggies, each scoring 30 points to help lead the UC Davis men's basketball team past the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 75-63 Thursday night.
Pepper and Johnson's stellar scoring performances led UC Davis (17-12, 12-6) to their 12th conference win of the season, as the Aggies continue to build and stack momentum in preparation for the Big West Championships in Henderson, Nevada with just two more regular season games remaining.
Pepper finished the game going 9-17 from the field with two, momentum shifting three pointers. He also finished the night going 10-11 from the charity stripe.
Johnson was automatic tonight from the mid-range, finishing at an impressive 11-16 from the field. His touch in the mid-range carried over to the free throw line as well, going a perfect 7-7. Johnson also added three rebounds and two steals.
As the star duo dazzled with their scoring prowess, the Aggies also paid homage to their five beloved seniors who played their final home game. Before the game,
Sam Manu,
Niko Rocak,
Kane Milling,
Ade Adebayo and
Elijah Pepper were celebrated for their remarkable journeys and accomplishments, with the festive spirit from that moment, in addition to the 2,398 Aggie fans, inspiring their performance on the court.
UC Davis was able to take an early 8-0 run and never looked back as the Aggies never trailed at any point.
A big contributor to this end-to-end win for the Aggies was of course their electric backcourt, but also the front court's ability to help control the glass. UC Davis collected 26 rebounds in Thursday's game compared to Hawaii's 23, led by four boards from
Ade Adebayo. The Aggies improve to 13-1 in games they possess the rebound advantage.
UC Davis forced 16 Hawaii turnovers while committing only nine themselves in Thursday's game. The Aggies turned those takeaways into 22 points on the offensive end of the floor with a big portion of those points coming during early parts of the first half, as UC Davis turned over the Rainbow Warriors three straight possessions to begin the game.
Niko Rocak led the way individually with two steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Davis seized an early 18-15 lead and extended it to 27-15 with a 9-0 surge, capped by a Leo Debruhl basket, midway through the first half. The Aggies saw their lead shrink slightly, but still held a 38-32 edge at the break. They exploited seven Hawaii turnovers in the half, converting them into 13 points on the offensive end.
The Aggies maintained their lead in the second half and stretched it to 65-52 with another 9-0 spurt, punctuated by a Pepper three-pointer, with less than five minutes left in the game. The Rainbow Warriors made a late push, but the Aggies comfortably secured the 75-63 victory to send home the Aggie faithful happy in the final home game of the 2023-24 season.
GAME NOTES
» UC Davis never trailed on the way to a 75-63 victory.
» UC Davis had a 26-23 edge on the boards in the win.
» The UC Davis defense forced 16 turnovers.
» Elijah Pepper and Ty Johnson each added a game-high 30 points.
» UC Davis got four rebounds from both Ade Adebayo and Niko Rocak.
