Aggie men rally late to take dramatic hoops win from Sacramento State
Last-minute baskets by Rocak and Wilson key 77-73 victory in Causeway rivalry
One win does not make a season, but UC Davis gave a hint of good things to come with a gritty, never-say-die, 77-73 non-conference basketball win over archrival Sacramento State before a highly vocal crowd of 3,786 Friday night in the University Credit Union Center.
The win gives the Aggies a 3-1 record in the early season, while the Hornets drop to 2-2.
This basketball rivalry has been intense since the days of the old Far Western Conference, of which both schools were proud members for many years. The Hornets eventually ended up in the Big Sky Conference, while the Aggies joined the Big West. Next year, however, the Hornets will be in the Big West, while the Aggies join the Mountain West.
None of that mattered Friday night as these two Causeway rivals battled from start to finish before a 4-0 Aggie run over the final 50 seconds sealed the deal and sent one of the largest crowds in recent history home happy.
Things didn’t always look so rosy for UCD as the Hornets raced out to a 24-14 lead and appeared ready to head back across the Sacramento River with local bragging rights for the next 12 months.
The Aggies had other ideas.
UCD rallied late to cut the deficit to 36-34 at half as the battle continued to heat up.
The Hornets came out hot again to start the second half, forging a 48-40 advantage before the Aggies rallied once again to tie things at 50 on Connor Sevilla’s long-range bomb with 13:17 remaining.
After that, the lead changed hands an incredible 11 times and the score was tied on six occasions, the last time at 73-all on a fastbreak layup from the Hornets’ Prophet Johnson with 1:12 to play.
But Niko Rocak hit from inside the paint at 0:50, then a stout Aggie defense forced a Sac State turnover and Marcus Wilson removed all doubt with a short jumper at 0:10.
The sharpshooting Sevilla hit four of eight from 3-point range and finished with 20 points, with Nils Cooper adding 14, Omer Suljanovic 13 and Wilson 12.
Rocak grabbed eight boards and was his usual intimidating self with four key blocks.
Wilson and Isaiah Chappell had six rebounds apiece.
The Aggies now face a couple of difficult road dates at Nevada, Nov. 18, and at Colorado, Nov. 21, before returning home Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. against Louisiana.
UCD opens Big West play Dec. 4 at Hawaii.