Strong 3-pointers allowed the Aggies to hold the lead
By COLINA HARVEY— sports@theaggie.org
On Feb. 5 the UC Davis men’s basketball team faced off against the UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) Gauchos at home. Coming into the game, the Gauchos boasted an 8-3 conference record and occupied the No. 2 spot in Big West standings. Despite this, the Aggies were able to beat the Gauchos for the second time this season, with a final score of 85-75.
The two teams were even at the start, but the Aggies started to surge ahead at the 7-minute mark when Connor Sevilla, a third-year managerial economics major, hit a 3-pointer. It was shortly followed by two more 3-pointers by Carl Daughtery Jr, a fourth-year communication major, and Isaiah Chappell, a second-year economics major. This barrage of back-to-back 3-pointers boosted the Aggies to a seven-point lead and gave them good momentum.
Both teams started to get rougher, committing multiple fouls and turnovers. However, the Aggies were able to slow it down and regain control. Another 3-pointer by Omer Suljanovic, a first-year human development major, gave the Aggies a double-digit lead.
A series of fouls and missed shots by the Aggies allowed the Gauchos to creep back, getting within two points of the Aggies score with just under 7 minutes left in the half. The Aggies fought to defend their lead, with Chappell scoring five straight points at the end of the first half, going into halftime with an eight-point lead.
In the first half, the Aggies were on fire from the 3-point line, shooting 6-11 (more than 50% accuracy) as a team. On the other hand, the Gauchos struggled from the three, going only 1-8.
Although Marcus Wilson, a second-year human development major, hit a 3-pointer to start the second half, the Gauchos were able to regain some momentum.
“We’ve had a bit of a trend where we come out and start the second half with not the same intensity, and teams will go on little runs,” Sevilla said. “So just eliminating that we know will help us down the stretch, especially when we get closer to March.”
The Gauchos gained energy when Aidan Mahaney hit three 3-pointers and CJ Shaw had two fastbreak layups in the first 5 minutes of the second half. Their quick scoring put the Gauchos within one point of the Aggies. With 12:36 minutes remaining, UCSB tied the game up and then took a two-point lead with free throws.
However, the Gauchos were only able to hold their lead for about 20 seconds as the Aggies fought to close out the game. A dunk by Niko Rocak, a Masters of Business Administration student, a corner three by Daughtery Jr. and a dunk by Nils Cooper, a third-year communication major, put the Aggies up by five with less than 10 minutes to go. Strong free throw shooting also helped the Aggies get ahead, going 15-15 on free throws in the second half.
With 6:36 minutes of the game remaining, the Aggies got their lead up to 10 points and comfortably coasted to the end.
“We know they’re going to hit shots down the stretch: Every team does,” Sevilla said. “That’s just what good teams do. It’s just a matter of us sticking to our values, sticking to what we do, and we’re able to come out with a win.”
Wilson was the biggest contributor to Aggie scoring, with a game-high and career-high of 24 points. He also had a team high of six rebounds. Daughtery Jr., Chappell, Rocak and Sevilla also hit double-digit scoring.
The recorded attendance for the match was 1,811, the second highest attendance of any home game this season. It was second only to the Causeway Cup against Sacramento State University on Nov. 14, 2025, and the high turnout of Aggie fans was felt through their cheering and enthusiasm.
“It just gave everyone energy,” Sevilla said. “Even though they went on their little run, the crowd [was] getting into it — just keeping the [crowd’s] energy up helped us keep our energy up. That was just huge,” Sevilla said.
With the win, the Aggies improved their conference record to 7-5. They have just two more home games on Feb. 14 and Feb. 26 before they head into the postseason.
Written by: Colina Harvey — sports@theaggie.org
