The atmosphere in the Pavilion was electric.
Nearly 4,500 fans filled the arena as Stanford came to Davis to revisit the site of the Aggies 64-58 upset over the Cardinal in 2005.
No such drama would ensue this time, however, as UC Davis fell 70-49.
The Aggies got off to a slow start, as the Cardinal was able to reach the basket at will early on, converting several lay-ups and dunks to take a 21-8 lead in the first 11 minutes.
“I think we were kind of a deer in headlights [in the early going],” said coach Jim Les. “They were the aggressor on the road and I thought we were a little too passive, kind of waiting for things to happen versus making things happen.”
The Cardinal shot over 50 percent from the field and scored 22 points in the paint during the opening frame.
By contrast the Aggies shot just 35 percent and netted eight points in the paint during the period.
Stanford maintained that level of play through the remainder of the first half, taking a 36-19 lead into the break.
UC Davis started the second frame with a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to single digits. It was not enough, however, as Stanford outscored UC Davis 34-30 in the second frame, stretching the lead to 26 before settling for the 21-point win.
“I thought the second half approach, again, [showed] signs of improvement,” Les said. “We weren’t able to sustain it but the intensity and aggressiveness was a lot better.”
The loss moved UC Davis to 1-4 this season, with its lone victory coming over UC Santa Cruz last week.
Sophomore Josh Ritchart led all scorers with 19 points, while fellow sophomore Harrison DuPont was the only other Aggie in double-figures with 10.
Stanford had three players in double-figures, led by Anthony Brown with 14.
Overall, the Cardinal out-shot the Aggies 47.5 percent to 38.5 percent.
UC Davis will return to action Tuesday against rival Sacramento State. The game will tip off at approximately 7 p.m. as the second half of a double-header with women’s basketball.
TREVOR CRAMER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
