Thursday, January 16
Davis, CA
7:00 PM
UC Riverside
81
at
69
UC Davis
Photo by: Annishia McKoy
Men's Basketball Ties Division I-Era Record For Largest Comeback In Win Over Davis
1/16/2014 10:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Davis, CA—The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team made history Thursday night tying the program's Division I era record by coming back from a 19-point deficit to beat UC Davis, 81-69 (box score).
Contrasting offensive styles squared off against one another as UC Riverside sent its post game up against an Aggies squad that takes the most three-pointers per game in the conference by far. Unfortunately for the Highlanders,
Both teams started out hot as UC Riverside made four of its first five shots from the floor, and the Aggies connected on four of six. Taylor Johns lay up with 4:09 gone in the first tied the score at 10, but Davis began to pull away shortly thereafter as a 19-7 run midway through the period put the Aggies up 15, 34-19 with 4:20 on the clock.
Not surpisingly it was the three-point shot that helped build the lead as UC Davis went nine for 17 from long distance in the first period. Ryan Sypkens leads the Big West in made three-pointers with 58 coming into the game, but he was not the Aggies primary offensive threat in the half. He made one of three from three-point range, but Corey Hawkins went three for four, and Iggy Nujic and Georgi Funtarov each went two for four.
As they have done all season, the Highlanders fed their post players. Steven Thornton led UCR with seven points at the break while Taylor Johns, Chris Patton and Colin Gruber each scored six. The quartet combined to shoot 10 of 16 from the floor, but the rest of the squad missed all nine of their shots.
The Aggies continued to fire away from long range in the second, as they led by as many as 19, but UC Riverside caught fire with 14:10 to go in the game. Trailing 55-37, the Highlanders ran off 16 straight points, puncutated by an alley-oop, reverse dunk from Nick Gruninger to Johns. That made it a two-point game, 55-53, with 10:16 on the clock.
A free throw by Funtarov ended the run, but after two more Davis free throws, Sam FInley connected on a three-pointer to cut the Aggies advantage to one, 57-56.
Just over two minutes later, a Johns' lay up tied the score at two, and on UCR's next possession it was another Johns lay up that put them on top, 64-62.
The Aggies offense, meanwhile, went into a funk as they lost Hawkins the game's leading scorer at the time, to an eye injury with 5:32 gone in the second. The Highlanders continued to build on their lead scoring another eight points before a Nujic free throw ended the bleeding.
UCR hit its free throws down the stretch, however, to secure the victory. In all, the Highlanders shot 70.8 percent in the second half including six of seven from three-point range. The 54 points they scored in the second half were the most since a 63-point outburst in the first half of a 115-111 loss to Puget Sounds on December 21, 2005 (box score).
Johns led all scorers with 22 points, while Finley added 19, Patton scored 14 and Thornton added 13. Hawkins paced the Aggies with 18 on the night.
Next up for the Highlanders is a Saturday, January 18 road game at Hawai'i. Tip is slated for 9 pm PT.
Contrasting offensive styles squared off against one another as UC Riverside sent its post game up against an Aggies squad that takes the most three-pointers per game in the conference by far. Unfortunately for the Highlanders,
Both teams started out hot as UC Riverside made four of its first five shots from the floor, and the Aggies connected on four of six. Taylor Johns lay up with 4:09 gone in the first tied the score at 10, but Davis began to pull away shortly thereafter as a 19-7 run midway through the period put the Aggies up 15, 34-19 with 4:20 on the clock.
Not surpisingly it was the three-point shot that helped build the lead as UC Davis went nine for 17 from long distance in the first period. Ryan Sypkens leads the Big West in made three-pointers with 58 coming into the game, but he was not the Aggies primary offensive threat in the half. He made one of three from three-point range, but Corey Hawkins went three for four, and Iggy Nujic and Georgi Funtarov each went two for four.
As they have done all season, the Highlanders fed their post players. Steven Thornton led UCR with seven points at the break while Taylor Johns, Chris Patton and Colin Gruber each scored six. The quartet combined to shoot 10 of 16 from the floor, but the rest of the squad missed all nine of their shots.
The Aggies continued to fire away from long range in the second, as they led by as many as 19, but UC Riverside caught fire with 14:10 to go in the game. Trailing 55-37, the Highlanders ran off 16 straight points, puncutated by an alley-oop, reverse dunk from Nick Gruninger to Johns. That made it a two-point game, 55-53, with 10:16 on the clock.
A free throw by Funtarov ended the run, but after two more Davis free throws, Sam FInley connected on a three-pointer to cut the Aggies advantage to one, 57-56.
Just over two minutes later, a Johns' lay up tied the score at two, and on UCR's next possession it was another Johns lay up that put them on top, 64-62.
The Aggies offense, meanwhile, went into a funk as they lost Hawkins the game's leading scorer at the time, to an eye injury with 5:32 gone in the second. The Highlanders continued to build on their lead scoring another eight points before a Nujic free throw ended the bleeding.
UCR hit its free throws down the stretch, however, to secure the victory. In all, the Highlanders shot 70.8 percent in the second half including six of seven from three-point range. The 54 points they scored in the second half were the most since a 63-point outburst in the first half of a 115-111 loss to Puget Sounds on December 21, 2005 (box score).
Johns led all scorers with 22 points, while Finley added 19, Patton scored 14 and Thornton added 13. Hawkins paced the Aggies with 18 on the night.
Next up for the Highlanders is a Saturday, January 18 road game at Hawai'i. Tip is slated for 9 pm PT.
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UCR Athletics Director Introductory Full Press Conference
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