THE SHORT STORY: Behind a stifling defensive effort and a dominant showing on the glass, UC Davis cruised to a 71-54 victory over Long Beach State on Saturday afternoon at the University Credit Union Center. The Aggies led wire-to-wire, using a 13-0 first-half run to break the game open and never looking back to secure their ninth conference win of the season.

COURT SIDE


Marcus Wilson led all scorers with 18 points, shooting 7-of-13 from the field while filling the stat sheet with 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Niko Rocak was a force in the paint, finishing just shy of a double-double with 9 points, a game-high 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.
Connor Sevilla added 10 points and 2 steals, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
Nils Cooper also had 6 points to go along with 4 rebounds.
The Aggies’ bench provided a significant spark, outscoring the Beach reserves 22-17.
UC Davis controlled the interior, recording 6 blocks and outscoring Long Beach State 36-32 in the paint.
The defense was relentless, forcing 16 turnovers which the Aggies converted into 19 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED


The Aggies set the tone immediately, racing out to a 6-0 lead in the opening two minutes behind buckets from Jalen Stokes, Marcus Wilson and Connor Sevilla.
Although Long Beach State briefly tied the game at 16-16 midway through the half, UC Davis responded with a decisive 11-0 run. Sparked by a Brayden Fagbemi three-pointer and capped by an Omer Suljanovic layup, the surge put the Aggies up 27-16.
UC Davis maintained the pressure, shooting 51.6 percent in the period to take a comfortable 41-27 advantage into the locker room.
UC Davis kept its foot on the gas to start the second half, opening with a 6-0 burst to push the lead to 20 points at the 18:02 mark.
The Aggies’ defense held the Beach to 0-of-7 shooting from three-point range in the final 20 minutes.
While Long Beach State managed to trade baskets down the stretch, they never threatened the lead. UC Davis controlled the boards 19-11 in the half and cruised to the 71-54 victory.

UP NEXT

UC Davis hits the road to face Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Feb. 19. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Fullerton, Calif.