MBB: UC Davis (12-9, 6-4) at UC Irvine (19-3, 9-1), Saturday, Feb. 1 at 1:00 pm
  • Toke69
    389
    It’s very clear at this point that the Anteaters are the top team in the conference. They’ve garnered some Top 25 votes in the national polls and beat the main contender, UCSD, on the Triton’s home court. Coach Russell Turner has had the luxury of having four of his top five scorers from last year returning, notably center Bent Leuchten the 7 foot junior whom the Ags were able to hold in check last year, splitting with UCI and even taking them to overtime away from Davis thanks to Eli Pepper’s 26 points. This year, Leuchten not only leads the team in scoring, but is second in the Big West in rebounding with 9.0 rpg. He has a lot of help this year in the forms of Devin Tillis, Justin Hohn and Myles Che, all averaging in double figures.

    UCI has slipped a bit, but still has an NCAA NET rank of 50. They lost their aura of invincibility with the loss to UC Riverside and struggled to beat a weak Long Beach State team on Thursday. Still, this game will be the Aggies biggest challenge in Big West play. An upset would be huge. The game will be available on ESPN+.
    Toke69 Options
  • DrMike
    830
    ↪Toke69
    I'm a big fan of Tillis. Just a real solid player. Not a tremendous athlete (a little pudgy, kind of a sleepy-eyed look), but he just seems to make big plays for them when they need it. It seems like he's been at Irvine forever.
    DrMike Options
  • DrMike
    830
    Vegas doesn’t like our chances - 12.5 point underdogs. Very tough matchup. I think I’d like to see Poly, Bako, Beach and Fullerton lose as expected to keep them below us (plus we have 2 win tiebreaker over UCSB)
    DrMike Options
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    From The Big West Banter by Gauchodan:

    GAME OF THE AFTERNOON. When all the rest of the games involve at least one team with a losing conference record, you earn the sobriquet by default. UC Davis entered the week with the toughest remaining schedule in the Big West, thus beginning a closing run vs. a gauntlet. The Aggies (12-9, 6-4) lost Thursday at UC Riverside on a Nate Pickens 3-pointer with 5 seconds left and now must turn around and face a team that doesn’t lose on its home court.

    Conference scoring leader TY Johnson (21.2 ppg) has scored at least 20 points in 5 straight games. Pablo Tamba scored just 4 points at Riverside but is averaging 11.1 ppg on 64% shooting from the floor. Connor Sevilla averages 2.1 made threes per game on 37.9% shooting from the perimeter and is 33 of 34 (.971) from the free throw line. Niko Rocak has three double doubles and is pulling down 7.8 rebounds per game. Leo DeBruhl is the other 3-point threat for UC Davis at .373.

    The Anteaters (19-3, 9-1) survived a legitimate scare from lowly Long Beach State on Thursday, needing to score the final 7 points of regulation just to get to overtime. A Quad 4 loss would have surely ended any discussion of a safety-valve at-large bid. As it was, UC Irvine saw its NET rank fall two positions. My amended position is that UC Irvine can afford one more regular season loss ONLY against UC San Diego, CSUN or perhaps the season finale at UC Santa Barbara (I’m very wobbly on that). UC Davis, despite its contender status in the Big West, is another Quad 4 opponent and a must win for UCI on the at-large front. UC Irvine has won 21 straight games at home, where it plays its next 3 games.

    Bent Leuchten leads the team in scoring (15.4 ppg) and leads the conference in double doubles with 10. Leuchten pulls down 9 rebounds per game and has even made 13 three-pointers this season, on 26 attempts. Devin Tillis, the hero of Thursday night’s game with two overtime 3-pointers, is averaging 9.2 rebounds in his last 5 games. Myles Che posted his third 20-point performance of the season Thursday at Long Beach and is averaging 16.4 points per game and 3.6 assists since New Year’s Day. Justin Hohn is 4th on the team (12.0 ppg) in scoring despite taking by far the most shots on the squad (10.9 attempts per game). Jurian Dixon has reached double digits in scoring in 4 of his last 5 games.

    https://bigwestbanter.substack.com/p/halftime-is-over?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=3137908&post_id=156190348&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=31ratq&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
    BlueGoldAg Options
  • Toke69
    389
    Good start.
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  • Toke69
    389
    If someone told me that the Aggies would have a 7 point lead and hold to be up by 1at the half after 13 turnovers, I would have told them they were smoking something. Still, both teams have been very sloppy. TY has been egregiously careless with his passing lately, notably at the end of the UCR game, but also a few today already.
    Toke69 Options
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    ↪Toke69
    13 TO's by the Ags and 10 by the Eaters. Our defense has been excellent again holding Irvine to 36% shooting while we're doing better than usual on offense shooting 45%. All the rest of the stats are very even. I hope we'll continue to keep the game within reach in the 2nd half and give ourselves a chance for a upset win.
    BlueGoldAg Options
  • DrMike
    830
    I’m watching in the background with a houseful of grandkids. Seemed like Irvine ramped up the defensive pressure after the T. 12 fouls for us vs their 5.
    DrMike Options
  • DrMike
    830
    Feels like it slipping away a bit. Lax on defense and sloppy on offense.

    Turner is SO MUCH MORE INTENSE vs us than any other team
    DrMike Options
  • Toke69
    389
    If I were a UCI fan, I would now say that the "real" Anteaters decided to show up in the second half. Ags need to tighten their defense.
    Toke69 Options
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    The Aggies left their defense in the locker room at halftime. Les needs to get the attention of his players before this game gets completely out of reach real quick.
    BlueGoldAg Options
  • Toke69
    389
    Refs are calling this one a bit too tight as I see it. Seems like the Ags usually draw more than their share of illegal screen calls, but in this one both teams are getting called for a lot of ticky-tack stuff.
    Toke69 Options
  • DrMike
    830
    We just don’t match up with the eaters. Bigger, and deeper and they play as tough a defense as anyone. Wish we had that last 19 seconds vs Riverside back!
    DrMike Options
  • Toke69
    389
    Niko Rocak is the Ags second most valuable player for his rebounding, shot blocking and overall defense. Leucthen makes him look tiny on the court, but he still did a credible job against a guy who is likely to be in the NBA next year, blocking 2 or 3 of the big man's shots. Rocak is such a quick jumper and his timing is uncanny. I won't be sorry to see Leuchten graduate.
    Toke69 Options
  • movielover
    570
    We shot 38%. TJ, who shoots 22% from 3, came off the bench late and immediately launched two.

    Irvine now w 20 wins, 20 - 3 overall
    movielover Options
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.3k
    UCI outscored us 26-12 in the paint and a quite of few of those points came in the first 6 minutes of the 2nd half where we broke down defensively and Irvine burned us with too many layups. Other than that, it was a pretty even game against a very good team. We will have a chance to be a spoiler when Irvine comes to town for the next to final game of the season on March 6th.
    BlueGoldAg Options
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