Tonight, NCAA basketball makes its long-awaited debut at Golden 1 Center. Not one, but two games are on the slate and we take a moment to preview both matchups.
UC Davis (3-1) vs. Sacramento State (1-2)
The rivalry across the causeway takes center court at Golden 1 Center as UC Davis and Sacramento State go head-to-head in the first matchup of the night. The contest will be the first of four games played between the two teams inside the new downtown arena through 2020.
The Aggies enter today’s contest fresh off an 89-75 victory over Holy Names University. Forwards Chima Moneke and Garrison Goode led the way for Davis in the six-point win. Moenke poured in a team-high 21 while Goode snatched a career-high 12 rebounds.
Sac State is coming into this evening’s game following a win of its own. In a non-conference match-up, the Hornets had no trouble handling Antelope Valley, beating the NAIA school 82-60 inside the Hornets Nest. Sac State cruised their way to victory following a 24-6 run in the final eight minutes of the second half.
Today’s meeting between the Hornets and Aggies will mark the 115th time the two programs square off against each other. It’s also the first time the two squads play one another on a neutral court since 1989.
Cal (2-0) vs. San Diego State (2-1)
The second contest of the night features a matchup between the Mountain West and PAC-12. The game at Golden 1 Center marks the first time both San Diego State and Cal are playing at a neutral site this season.
The Aztecs are coming off a convincing 81-58 victory over San Diego Christian last Wednesday. Jeremy Hemsley led the way for SDSU, finishing with 23 points along with five assists. Trey Kell also added 19 points on an effective 7-of-10 shooting from the field in the victory over the Hawks.
The Golden Bears, meanwhile, were tested by a disciplined UC Irvine team last week. Cal had to battle back from a 13-point deficit in order to defeat the Anteaters in overtime, 76-65. Charlie Moore scored a game-high 38 points to lead the Golden Bears, breaking a freshman scoring record set by Shareef Abdur-Rahim 20 years ago.
These two teams are meeting for first time since last year. In their previous contest that was played in Las Vegas, San Diego State came out on top, defeating Cal 72-58. The Aztecs lead the all-time series between both squads with a 6-4 record.
