Men’s basketball: Poor shooting performance dooms UVU vs UC Davis

Photo by Brigham Berthold

DAVIS, Calif.– UVU (7-7) finished their two-game California road swing Saturday, falling 83-69 to the University of California-Davis (8-7) in a game that it led only once, by one point early in the first half. For the Wolverines, the loss was marked by struggling to control the ball on offense and an overall inability to get their shots to fall.

UVU fell into a 10-point deficit in the first half as they shot just 32 percent from the field compared to UC Davis’ 46 percent. In the second half, the Wolverines trailed by as many as 16 before trimming the lead down to single digits for much of the frame. Ultimately, the teams ended up trading buckets until the Aggies were able to extend the lead back to 16 with just 2:28 to play.

It was a game in which the Wolverines were unable to overcome their turnover problems. UVU finished with two more turnovers than assists and UC Davis scored 20 points off of their 15 turnovers despite scoring just two points on the fast break. UVU finished shooting 38 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc. The bright spot for the Wolverines was the free throw line, where they shot 11-of-12, enough to keep the game as close as it was.

Jordan Poydras led UVU with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-6 from the 3-point line. Brandon Randolph was the only other Wolverine in double digits, finishing with 11 but taking 17 shots to get there. Conversely, the Aggies had five players in double-digit scoring, including Chima Moneke, who finished with a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The Wolverines will attempt to regain a winning record in their nonconference finale of the regular season. UVU will play host to Antelope Valley Monday in the UCCU Center, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. MST.