Check the Big West Conference website for the television schedule for tomorrow's first round games. Heads up: It's a very confusing schedule!

http://www.bigwest.org/assets/sports/mbball/17_MB_Bracket.pdf

Tuesday March 7
First Round Scores

#5 UC Riverside 92 #8 UC Irvine 60
#6 Hawai'i 71 #7 Cal Poly 50

Wednesday March 8
Second Round Games

#5 UC Riverside vs #4 UC Santa Barbara
#6 Hawai'i vs #3 CSUN

Athletics Department Release: http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/030617aab.html

Athletics Department Release: http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030617aad.html

Yeah, the POY award was a tough selection. Luke Nelson is a fabulous player but he missed over half the season with a hamstring injury whereas Chima played in every game. I think the fact that Nelson is not only a great player but a senior as well was a consideration too. Then the final game when Nelson played well and Chima did not probably sealed the deal. I expect Chima will have a good go at it next year as well.

Said, "BGA, I love your enthusiasm..." It helps me keep my sanity! ;)

Absolutely agree. It's a ridiculous format and scheduling. (N)

Yeah, I know. Poly always plays us tough and has a history of knocking off higher seeds in the BW tournament. However, both the Aggies and Poly are coming off equally poor games and I would say that Poly's loss to Santa Barbara was worse than the pummeling the Aggies took at Irvine.

The Ags ran into a buzz saw at Irvine and I don't think the Eaters will replicate that kind of performance against anybody in the tournament. The Ags were cold as ice the whole game and especially at the start. We shot 31% overall, 20% from 3 and hit only 6-22 from the line for the game. The 49 points scored by the Ags was a season low. I don't expect that to happen again.

Poly, on the other hand, lost to last place Santa Barbara in their own house. They shot an equally miserable 30% overall and 25% from 3 and only scored 44 points.

The Ags will need to recoup and get over being shell shocked by the loss at Irvine. They went from high to low after the ESPN game and the win over Hawai'i to getting trounced at Irvine. That's tough for team mentally but it just might motivate them even more in the tournament.

Irvine has shown that they are the team to beat in the tournament but, there is so much parity in the conference this year, that any team is capable of winning the whole thing.

Is there a "mercy rule" where they just declare it over?!!

Yes, 6th, it will take a Herculean effort to win 3 games in 3 days but I've seen this team bounce back from playing very poorly in one game to playing well in the next. I just hope we got this stinker completely out of our system.

Les is admittedly an intense competitor but I think he has actually mellowed a bit from his early years here. He still works the officials right up to the edge of a T but he doesn't bark as much at his players anymore. He's constantly active on the sideline and he is focused like a laser on the game but, for the most part, he's giving instruction and not criticism. I'm glad that he isn't the kind of coach that throw's his team under the bus after a poor game.

Well, mercifully, this one is over. Wow, what a terrible time to play their worst game of the season. POY honors for Moneke or Lemar probably went out the window too. Luke Nelson was spectacular for UCI.

I've followed this team closely this year and I've really enjoyed attending all of the home games. Quite frankly, I feel that this team actually overachieved considering the overall talent of the team. We simply are not up to the overall level of talent and depth than the teams that are perennially at the top of the league are.

BTW, Coach Les was very gracious in his post-game interview and gave credit to how well UCI played. He was disappointed, as I'm sure the players are, that his team didn't play better.

We get another chance to win a game next Thursday. Nothing to do now but put this fiasco behind us and move on.

41-23 Irvine at the half. Unfortunately, we've seen the Ags come out totally of sync and ice cold several times this season. They picked a horrible time to do it again today. 28% shooting, 3 of 8 from the line and poor defensive intensity...I wouldn't want to be in their locker room with Coach Les right now....

Great job by the Aggies...63-58...to bring home the title. This was a tough battle that was close all the way but the Aggies play with so much poise and just make plays when they have to.

Awesome season by the Lady Ags!

My provider doesn't carry it...BUMMER!!!

Aggies take a 4 point lead into the half 29-25.

15-14 CSUN at the end of the 1st.

Morgan Bertsch has to sit early in the first with 2 quick fouls.

Great post, fugawe09. (Y)

It sounds like this one was a real dog fight. Riverside is tough and going on the road and playing in a practically empty gym (attendance: 179) made this game particularly difficult for the Aggies.

Pele Gianotti got a steal with 2.9 seconds left and the Ags called timeout. Kourtney Eaton lobbed the inbounds pass to Morgan Bertsch who scored with 1.1 seconds left and the Ags secured their 22nd win of the season.

Now the Ags head to CSUN on Saturday with a chance to win the BW Conference Championship and head into the BW tournament as the #1 seed and double bye.

Go Ags!

I think you really summed it up, DrMike. This team embodies everything we want to see from Aggie athletes. They play hard all the time, never quit or hang their heads for long and they are so selfless; they play as a TEAM and for each other 100% of the time. If there is one thing that defines the character of this team more than anything else it's HEART. It's been a pure pleasure following this team this year and watching them grow and get better and better.

I was a bit disappointed with the only 2023 in attendance last night but, the fans who were there, showed their love for this team. It was special to see our 5 seniors honored before the game with their families and to listen to each of them address the crowd immediately after the game. They thanked the fans, their families, teammates and coaches and you could see just how much their 4 years of Aggie basketball had meant to them.

I don't know how many people may have noticed this but, immediately after the final buzzer, JT dropped down and kissed the Mustang logo at center court. What a resilient and courageous young man he has been for us these last 6 years. He's been through a lot and persevered out of his love and commitment to Aggie basketball.

Darius said that he "gave his heart and soul to this program over the last 4 years" and he believed "that the program is heading in the right direction." I wholeheartedly agree. With 2 undefeated home seasons in the last 3 years and the possibility of another conference championship if we can win at Irvine on Saturday, Coach Les and his staff have done a great job.

Beating Irvine in the Bren Center on Saturday night will not be easy by any means but I believe that this team is on a mission. No one expected them to be in this position when the season started except perhaps the players themselves and, one thing for sure, they'll leave it all on the court once the ball goes up for the tip. It's who they are.

Go Ags!