Hawai`i went to the foul line 38 times against Fullerton and canned 36 of them.

Watching the telecast, I felt that the refs were missing a lot of stuff that the Beach players were doing including traveling and a couple of egregious personal fouls. They didn't cost us the game but it sure added insult to injury. Of course, I was swayed by what Scott was saying, but I don't think he was wrong.

Games of Jan. 11:

UC Irvine (15-2/5-0) 60, UC San Diego (home, 14-3/4-1) 52
Hawai’i (11-5/3-2) 95, CSU Fullerton (home, 5-13/0-6) 86
UC Santa Barbara (11-5/3-2) 75, Cal Poly (home, 6-12/0-6) 72
CSU Bakersfield (home, 9-9/3-3) 94, CSUN (11-6/3-3) 90 - The Roadrunners were down 20 at the half.

The game between UCI and UCSD was a key contest in the Big West this year. Looks like the Anteaters are in good shape with a road win.

Big West Conference Standings:

Long Beach State is a lot better than advertised. Devin Askew should be playing for a power 5 team. It would seem that their coach has brought them along very well from the earlier part of their season. They might challenge the top teams down the road. On the other hand, it's hard to believe that they can sustain a 64.7% three-point shooting average. Still, the Ags did not lose only because of that. The Beach had a 24-12 point advantage on points off of turnovers, but the big problem again was the Ags went cold from outside in the second half.

Looks like the Ags second half woes continue.

I was glad to hear Scott Marsh and Bob Williams mention John Frost, who I watched in his senior year at UCD. He was the best pure shooters I saw in my seven years in Davis and he still ranks #12 after TY passed him today.

We can only hope that the Ags will find the range from outside. Their collective shooting slump has to end sometime, no? Possibly not, but the thing about basketball that makes it both exciting and frustrating (to play or to watch) is how streaky outside shooting can be. Even Steph Curry has bad days. We'll soon find out if someone besides Sevilla can bring it.

Whatever the cause, it's happened only over the past three games that the Ags have done worse in the second half, not coincidentally in Big West games. Against Cal Poly and UCSB, the Ags came back from a tie and down by one in both those games. Makes me wonder if opposing coaches in the league are doing something since then. If so, I hope Coach Les can figure it our because I sure can't.

Fatigue could explain the lack of shooting efficiency in the second half, but then why was Sevilla not affected? Anyone who has played the game knows how much more tiring it is to play defense than offense, but these guys should be in shape for the kind of defensive intensity such defense requires. If both Lose and Mani were sick, I wonder if there are others who have a touch of some kind of virus that is affecting them? The only other explanation is that some of them need better conditioning.

Games of Jan. 9:

UC San Diego (home, 14-2/4-0) 95, Cal Poly (6-11/0-5) 68
UC Irvine (14-2/4-0) 77, CSUN (home, 11-5/3-2) 67
Hawai’i (10-5/2-2) 83, UC Riverside (home, 10-7/3-2) 76
UC Santa Barbara (home, 10-5/2-2) 78, CSU Bakersfield (8-9/2-3) 66

Tritons and Anteaters still looking very tough. Look at how UCI handled the same CSUN team that beat the Aggies last week.

I like the new logo for the Hamilton Court discussions.

A win is a win but I can't be encouraged by it. If not for Sevilla shooting, to state the obvious, this would have been a loss. I can't remember seeing a poorer shooting demonstration by two teams. Without Conner's 4 of 10, they combined for 2 of 33 shooting from 3, that's 6% folks. On the bright (?) side, the Ags are now 3-0 at home in the Big West.

Titans have almost as many points on free throws as on field goals. Ags have twice as many turnovers as assists.

Looks like I was able to watch the best part of the half, but missed Sevilla's 3 3s.

I missed the first 12.5 minutes. Looks like a low scoring game. Has it been good defense or just poor shooting?

The game has started, but ESPN+ is not showing anything yet. Does anyone else have it?

It's hard to believe that CSU will be able to host a game tonight with all the fires in that area, but there is no news about it and I am sure that a basketball game is not a priority nor should it be in the middle of this terrible conflagration. They're going ahead with the game.

A very telling stat was points in the paint. CSUN had 40 to our 12! I had a sense from the very start that the Ags were letting the Matadors get too many layups and not even on fast breaks (where he difference was only 12 to 11). And to take BlueGold's point, a lot of those intertior scores were by Jones and Fofana, both 6'6".

Hard to tell how well Borra would have been this season, but I was never impressed with him in the past. His athleticism was limited and he was slow. Quicker big men took advantage of him. Last season was his best but he still only averaged 12.6 minutes a game. For his height he was not a great rebounder or rim protector. He had more fouls than rebounds. Ade Adebayo, at 6'5" and lack of offense, was much more effective in the front-court alongside Nico. It's likely he would have been better this season but how much we'll never know.

Games of Jan. 4:

UC San Diego (13-2/3-0) 90, CSU Fullerton (home, 5-11/0-3) 51
UC Irvine (home, 10-2/1-0) 81, UC Riverside (10-6/1-3) 57
CSU Bakersfield (home, 8-8/2-2) 80, Long Beach State (6-10/2-2) 65
Hawai’i (home, 9-5/1-2) 68, Cal Poly (6-10/0-4) 55