Score: Hawai'i 77, UC Davis 73
Location: Davis, Calif. (University Credit Union Center)
Records: UC Davis 17-12 (10-8 Big West), Hawai'i 20-7 (12-5 Big West)
THE SHORT STORY On a special night where UC Davis honored seniors Carl Daughtery Jr. and Niko Rocak, alongside Team IMPACT teammate Myles prior to tip-off, the Aggies mounted a furious second-half rally but ultimately fell just short against Hawai'i, 77-73, on Thursday night. Marcus Wilson delivered a career-high 25 points to fuel a late push that saw UC Davis outscore the Rainbow Warriors in the final 20 minutes.
LEADING OFF
- Marcus Wilson poured in a game and career-high 25 points on an efficient 9-of-17 shooting from the floor.
- Carl Daughtery Jr. provided a perimeter spark on his senior night, tallying 11 points while knocking down a trio of three-pointers.
- Niko Rocak stuffed the stat sheet in his final home game, recording 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals, while going 8-for-9 at the charity stripe.
- Connor Sevilla also reached double figures with 11 points, highlighted by a perfect 6-for-6 mark at the free-throw line.
- Omer Suljanovic had a strong game as well, anchoring the glass with a team-high eight rebounds to go along with seven points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Hawai'i established control early, using efficient offense to capitalize in transition.
- Fueled by seven first-half three-pointers, the Rainbow Warriors built a 43-31 advantage heading into the locker room.
- UC Davis flipped the script in the second half, attacking the paint and moving the ball well to slowly chip away at the deficit.
- The Aggies dominated the physical battle in the final 20 minutes, out-rebounding Hawai'i on the offensive glass and converting 15 of 18 second-half free throws to climb right back into the contest.
- Despite UC Davis outscoring Hawai'i 42-34 in the second period, the Rainbow Warriors managed to sink critical free throws with 11 seconds remaining to stave off the Aggies' comeback and seal the 77-73 win.
UP NEXT
UC Davis will look to bounce back when it hits the road to face Long Beach State on Thursday, March 5. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Long Beach, Calif.
