Score: UC Davis 78, UC Riverside 73
Location: SRC Arena, Riverside, Calif.
Records: UC Davis 17-11, 10-7 Big West | UC Riverside 9-20, 4-13 Big West
THE SHORT STORY: UC Davis secured a 78-73 road victory over UC Riverside on Saturday afternoon at SRC Arena. With the win, the Aggies guaranteed a top-eight finish in the conference standings, officially reserving their spot in the 2026 Big West Championship bracket. Connor Sevilla paced the offense with 22 points, helping the Aggies control the tempo and hold off a late Highlanders push.
COURT SIDE
- Connor Sevilla led the offensive charge with 22 points, doing heavy damage at the charity stripe by converting 11 of his 13 free-throw attempts while adding 3 steals on defense.
- Jalen Stokes delivered a flawless performance at the line, going a perfect 10-for-10 on free throws to finish with 16 points and a team-high 7 rebounds. Stokes also finished with a team-high plus-minus of +11.
- Brayden Fagbemi provided an efficient spark, tallying 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. This was Fagbemi's second straight game scoring in double figures.
- Niko Rocak anchored the interior defense with a pair of blocks to go along with 8 points and 5 rebounds.
- Carl Daughtery Jr. returned to action after missing the last two games, and added 10 points.
- The Aggies were relentless in drawing contact, converting an impressive 30 of their 39 free-throw attempts for the game to keep UC Riverside at bay. The 30 makes and 39 attempts were both season-highs for the Aggies.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams battled through a tightly contested opening stretch, trading early baskets to with an Isaiah Chappell three-pointer giving UC Davis a 7-6 lead.
- The Aggies gained a little more separation midway through the first half, using a pair of free throws from Stokes to spark a run and build an 11-8 advantage right after the first media timeout.
- UC Davis controlled the interior early, outscoring the Highlanders 14-2 in the paint during the first 20 minutes. Combined with a 14-of-16 effort from the free-throw line, the Aggies carried a 37-31 lead into the halftime break.
- Stokes opened the second half with a quick layup, and the Aggies' defensive pressure immediately forced a turnover to keep the momentum rolling.
- UC Riverside battled back to narrow the gap to 40-36, but UC Davis responded with timely shot-making, including back-to-back clutch jumpers from Sevilla late in the half to stretch the lead back to 67-61.
- Down the stretch, the Aggies relied on their poise at the foul line, converting 16 of their 23 second-half attempts to help secure the 78-73 road win.
UP NEXT
UC Davis returns home to host Hawai'i on Thursday, Feb. 26 for Senior Night. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the University Credit Union Center.
