Looks like the Ags have thrown away the funk and are playing near the top of their game. At exactly the right time.

The UCI - Long Beach game will be on ESPN2 tonight at 7:00 PM

What a game to watch! Pepper's epic 4-point play began when he landed at our feet - I looked up to see the ball slip through the net, saw Pepper's jubilant gesture and the Hawai'i players consternation. It was, perhaps, more "in the game" than we were quite prepared for.

This was the very best of the Ags this season with fierce defense and rebounding. And a crowd the team deserved - just not as many as I could have hoped for.

They've nabbed at least a first-round bye. Now for a statement against UCSD and a decisive game against Long Beach. I think the team will remember the drubbing they received against the Tritons.

They were roughly handled but then came back to take the series and send Pacific back to Stockton having been roughly handled. It's a fun team to watch! Best start for the Ags in a long time.

Pepper's production has been dwindling game over game for a while. He got open shots he normally makes. Hurt? Tired?

But the Ags took the 2nd game 13-4 and also won on Sunday 8-4.

It'll be a challenge for the Ags to shake off this rough patch and find a way to win.

The Ags can clinch a tournament berth with a win tonight at CSUN OR a CSU Fullerton loss OR a CSU Bakersfield loss. (thanks to Gouchdan over on the tapatalk big west boards for providing that information.

That was some second half buy the Ags. I wasn't able to be at the game but watched it on ESPN. Good commentary. We started playing our game and Pepper hit some critical 3 pointers. Too bad the rest of the team was a bit off from beyond the arc. All those missed free-throws really hurt.

I can't fault Pepper so much - he's human like the rest and really wanted to see us come back. I'm hoping it all is dealt with in the locker room after the game. Les can do some coaching there and get the team focused for Saturday.

Answer: checked at the ball park today and doggies are NOT permitted.

I totally mis-remembered the Cal Poly game. Fortunately ESPN keeps the game-flow

ESPN game stats and game-flow

I remember the Poly game as being more competitive than the final score indicated. I hope we didn't leave too much in the Thunderdome.

But it's clear this team knows how to win and can bring a variety of tools to make it happen.

The Cal Poly game is a home game for us, just to be clear.

And Norris . . . she's responding in every positive way to fine coaching. All those little things she was doing early are vanishing. I was watching warmups yesterday. She'd receive the ball from outside, in the paint, and move to the hoop - no timing dribbles, keeping the ball protected, picking up the hoop as she moved - she's doing in practice, even warmups, what she needs to do in the game. And that's huge. Shine needs to do the same thing.

Pepper, even when he's not scoring, makes a huge difference for the Ags. He's there in the rebounding, in defense with incredibly busy hands. I keep remembering the take on Oscar Robertson - that he beats you away from the ball by being smart on the court.

It hurt to watch UCSD continue to play their starters for up to 5 minutes after Les had pulled the UCD starters. It felt wrong. Let's pump up the stats, I guess. I thought it lacked class.

As it happens we DO have an en suite guest room on the first floor with a convenient exit to the outside and we'd LOVE to host a player. We do, however, have cats and dogs so there's that.

I'll paste in a quote from "The Davis Enterprise" article by Bruce Gallaudet:

In this first season, lighting at Dobbins Stadium will be temporary. The game plan is to have permanent lights installed by the start of the 2025 Aggie baseball season.

Down the not-too-distance road, UC Davis has committed to other stadium improvements, including locker rooms, concession stands and a new video scoreboard. Some of the capital improvements should come with assistance from the Pioneer League club.

Lights are coming!

2153 was reported for the UCI-UCD game. Best student turnout of the season and definitely the loudest crowd of the season. Hard not to be engaged with a game that was this close.

Here's what Tomba experienced. He was hammered. how there wasn't a foul called boggles my mind. This was a very physical game and it probably had the highest amount of energy expended per point scored of any game I can recall.

Tamba hammered as he attacks the bucket.

Click any image to enlarge.

A good game by Norris. She's getting some excellent coaching. He outlet passing has improved markedly. In the paint so many of the bad habits that bigs seem to have are vanishing: no dribbling around when she gets the ball, no holding it down low for the little ones to grab hold of: just quick moves to the hoop. And she seems to know where she is. If she doesn't have a shot she gets rid of the ball. She's improving every game. And her defense is improving as well. I'd vote her most improved player.