Yes, the two teams I was referring to are us and UCI. Halfway through the season, UCD has only one more game against a team with a winning record. Of those, only the Beach has even a 5-5 record. On the other hand 6 of the games are away and we can't take any of those lightly, especially Hawai`i.

Pepper scores 24 point, grabs 7 rebounds, dishes out 6 assists and makes 4 steals and it seems like he had a bad day. Why? I think it was because he missed 12 shots, 7 from 3, which is unlike him. Had he made two more 3s the Ags would have won by 16. I think I would take that any day. The man makes plays and as abridge wrote, he's smart on the court.

It's beginning to look like a two team race. I think this year's Big West tournament is different with the top two seeds not playing until the penultimate round, so getting those seeds is a bigger deal than in past years. The win over UCSB was huge for that reason, but the teams in the middle of the pack are still dangerous.

It's amazing how much one can shorten a recorded game by fast forwarding through the time outs and halftime. I was able to see the end of the game in real time. Whew! Great bounce-back win by the Aggies over a tough Gaucho team. They did have a bit of luck with both Pierre-Louis and Traore being forced out with injuries and Mitchell getting into foul trouble but, hey, we'll take it.

I thought we missed a lot of opportunities to go ahead by a lot more than 12 in the first half.

Not much to go on from Mani's brief presence against UCSD, but I thought he looked shaky. That's understandable given it was his first game, but I agree that the one shot he took looked good. I hope he can also hit the boards and play solid D.

Yes, but I long ago promised my wife that I would not watch sports during our dinner times, which is 6:30.

Thanks

Thanks. Apparently, the local newspaper and the cable provider both had the wrong information about the game, so I will be able to see it on ESPNU, but in my cases, not in real time.

Does anyone know if ESPNU varies the game regionally? Our local station in Hawai`i is showing a different game: Wright State vs. Youngstown State for all those Buckeyes who live in the Islands.

It feels like this loss was a combination of the Tritons playing exceptionally well and the Aggies playing below their usual standards. Every team (even the 49ers) has bad days. Next up is a tough road game at Santa Barbara so I hope this loss does not bleed over into that one.

The last time UC Davis lost by a margin this big? Nov. 5, 2019 vs. Loyal of Chicago, 82-48 and that was at Chicago. The good news is that the Aggies outscored UCSD at the free throw line, 13-9. Seriously, that point underscores that we got outplayed in every facet of the game and not by a little bit. I'm sure glad that these guys won't be in the Big West tournament.

Coaches vs. Cancer

Down by 15 now. I've got a bad feeling about this.

Ags were only 1 of 8 from the 3-point arc in the first half and dished out only 2 assists to Tritons 9. Still, they mounted a great comeback in the last 12 minutes.

Reflecting on what Bob Williams said, have the Ags been down by 11 in the first half during conference play before?

I watched the UCSB-Hawai`i game since the Ags had a bye. In that 26-0 Gaucho run, Hawai`i went 0 for 15 from the field and 0 for 0 from the foul line. Overall, the team played pretty evenly aside from the 10 minute drought that the Rainbow Warriors suffered. I noticed that Hawai`i went to an effective2-3 zone a lot of the second half. Even so, UCSB scored 54 points in the paint, a lot of them coming from lobs from Ajay Mitchell.

It's never really clear whether a bad game by a really good shooter like Eli Pepper is due to his being cold or due to the defense. Yesterday he was 3 for 11 with only 14 points. UCI had their best defender on him, but one way to tell that he was off was that he missed some wide open shots, plus 2 free throws. Most likely it was a combination of both the defense and his not being his best. Back when I was playing lot, I would occasionally (and not often enough) get the hot hand and no defense could stop me even guys with 6 inches on me. When I wasn't hitting, it was not due to the defense. WE can even see this at the NBA level with guys like Steph Curry.

Right. Not saying other teams don't have it, but it certainly explains why the Aggies are able to come through in the clutch. I agree with you that the officials really put a damper on the game getting a little OCD with the clock issues.

It's great to be in first place, but all credit goes to the team and coaches. I've written this before: it helps a lot in these close games that the team is full of upperclassmen all who were on the team last year. It's a rare luxury these days in college basketball. I think their ability to persist with poise and clear play is largely due to their experience. Here's hoping it takes them to the big dance.