Golden 1 Center treated fans to its first taste of college basketball in Downtown Sacramento Monday night. In the first game of an NCAA doubleheader, the UC Davis Aggies came out on top while the Aztecs were winners of the second matchup.
UC Davis 81, Sac State 72
The Aggies had the last laugh over their rivals across the causeway. Linking up for the 115th time in each schools’ history, UC Davis toppled Sacramento State 81-72 in a high scoring affair at Golden 1 Center.
The Ags were led by Brynton Lemar, who chipped in a career-high 23 points in the victory. The senior guard was scorching on the court, finishing an effective 7-of-13 from the field. Junior forward Chima Moneke also made major contributions for Davis. The Australian big man scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win.
Sac State was paced by three players scoring in double figures. Forward Justin Strings and guard Marcus Graves both contributed 12 points to the Hornets’ cause while junior Nick Hornsby added 14.
UC Davis’ victory was powered in large part to an 11-3 run in the second half. The Aggies also caught fire from three-point distance, shooting 5-of-9 in the period after intermission. They finished the game shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc while limiting the Hornets to 25 percent.
SDSU 77, Cal 65
The Aztecs showed no fear against their opponents from the north on Monday evening. San Diego State put together a gritty effort, limiting Cal to below 40 percent from the field in a 77-65 win.
Despite fouling out in the second half, Malik Pope was a catalyst for the Aztecs tonight. The Sacramento native finished with 14 points on an efficient 6-of-10 shooting from the field. In just 19 minutes of action, the Laguna Creek High School grad also grabbed five rebounds for the Aztecs.
For the Golden Bears, it was forward Ivan Rabb who carried the load. The freshman sensation posted a double-double, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds for Cal. Rabb was effective as well, making 60 percent of his 10 attempts from the field.
The second game of tonight’s double-header was a test of wills for both teams. A total of 50 fouls were called between both squads and more than 60 free throws were attempted throughout the contest.
