Score: UC Davis 75, UC Riverside 74
Location: Davis, Calif.
Records: UC Davis 15-10 (9-5), UC Riverside 16-10 (9-5)
The short story: With 27 seconds left,
Niko Rocak's clutch three-pointer sealed UC Davis' thrilling Big West victory over UC Riverside. The win gives UC Davis three straight, and improves the Aggies record in Big West action to 9-5.
COURT SIDE
- TY Johnson erupted for a game-high 23 points, while adding five rebounds and four assists
- Johnson with the effort, now has recorded nine straight games with 20 or more points
- Pablo Tamba joined Johnson in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds
- Building off his double-double last week, Leo DeBruhl paced the Aggies again with his presence on both sides of the court with a near double-double this time: Nine points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and a steal
- Niko Rocak delivered the dagger with his late three-pointer, finishing the night with nine points, seven rebounds, and a block
- Nils Cooper notably got the last stop for the Aggies to seal the win, stopping Big West Player of the Year candidate Barrington Hargress as the time expired
- Offensively, Cooper was effective throughout the game with his cutting, ripping down three dunks and finishing with nine points and five rebounds
- Carl Daughtery Jr. provided a spark off the bench with his ability to generate free throw attempts, finishing with nine points
- UC Davis held the Highlanders to 36% shooting from three-point range (9-25)
- The Aggies dominated the boards, outrebounding UC Riverside 43-31, led by DeBruhl's career-high 13 rebounds
- There were a total of 17 lead changes in the contest
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UC Riverside started strong, with Kaleb Smith hitting an early three-pointer to give the Highlanders a 3-0 lead
- UC Riverside maintained its momentum with an early uncontested fast-break layup by Barrington Hargress to extend the lead to 8-3
- After falling behind 10-6, UC Davis went on a 7-0 run with 15:38 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Tamba to take a 13-10 lead
- UC Riverside continued to control the first half, eventually going on a 12-1 run to take a 39-29 lead at the 2:30 mark
- However, UC Davis stormed back to close the half, rallying behind a 9-2 run capped off by a buzzer-beater from Daughtery Jr., making it a one-possession game with UC Riverside leading 43-40 heading into the break
- The second half was a defensive battle until the final minutes, when UC Riverside's Kaleb Smith got hot, hitting a pair of clutch three-pointers to tie the game at 70-70 with just over three minutes remaining
- In the closing moments, the Highlanders extended their run to a 10-0 surge, giving UC Riverside a 74-70 lead with just 1:27 remaining
- UC Davis responded with a jumper from Johnson to cut the Aggies' deficit to two, then got a crucial stop on the opposite end to regain possession with 45 seconds left
- On the ensuing play, with 27 seconds remaining, Rocak delivered the game-winning three-pointer, assisted by Johnson, to give UC Davis a 75-74 lead
- UC Riverside had one final opportunity, but Hargress missed a jumper with Cooper in coverage, and UC Davis secured the rebound to seal the 75-74 victory
UP NEXT: UC Davis will be back on the road Saturday, traveling to UC San Diego for their first matchup this season against the Tritons. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT in La Jolla.
