Score: UC Davis 73, Long Beach State 65 (OT)
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Records: UC Davis 13-10 (7-5), Long Beach State 7-17 (3-9)
The short story: It took an overtime period, but UC Davis put forth a gritty effort to down Long Beach State. Behind a 33-point night from
TY Johnson, and 20 forced turnovers, the Aggies earned themselves a much-needed road conference win.
COURT SIDE
- Johnson delivered a game-high 33 points, including 12 in overtime, along with four assists and two steals
- Johnson scored it efficiently from all areas tonight, finishing 9-17 from the field, 4-8 from the three point line, and 11-14 from the charity stripe
- With the 33 points tonight, Johnson now has 1,529 career points, moving him into fifth all-time in Aggie career scoring leaders
- Pablo Tamba added 14 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting
- Niko Rocak continues to put himself into the conversation for Big West Defensive Player of the Year, stuffing the stat sheet tonight with six points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and three blocks
- UC Davis' defense was active, applying on-ball pressure all night which led to 20 forced turnovers, converting them into 28 points
- Leo DeBruhl, along with Rocak, led the way on this end of the court, each posting three steals to lead UC Davis
- The Aggies shot 48.1% from the field, improving their record to 6-1 in games they shoot over 45%
- Long Beach State's Devin Askew led the Beach with 17 points, while Austin Johnson added 9 points and 7 rebounds
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with Long Beach State taking a 30-29 lead into halftime, thanks to a 12-0 run by The Beach midway through the period
- UC Davis opened the second half with a 7-0 run of its own, capped by a Tamba layup, to take a 40-34 lead with 13:54 remaining
- The Beach responded with a 5-0 run, and the rest of the second half was characterized by lead changes and ties, with eight lead changes and eight ties total
- The game was tied for the eighth and final time with five seconds left as Askew buried a pair of free throws to send the game into overtime
- In overtime, Johnson took over and the Aggies started to pull away, scoring 12 of UC Davis' 14 points
- His three-pointer with 2:06 left sparked a 5-0 run, giving the Aggies momentum late, and a 69-63 lead
- Johnson's scoring outburst, coupled with UC Davis holding Long Beach State to 1-for-5 shooting in overtime, allowed the Aggies to close the door and secure the big-time road win
UP NEXT: UC Davis will round out its four-game road stand with Cal State Fullerton this Saturday, Feb. 8, at 6 p.m. PT.
