HENDERSON, Nev. -- No. 6 seed UC Davis (19-13, 11-9 Big West) secured a 79-73 victory over No. 7 seed UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday at Lee's Family Forum in the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Championship First Round. The Aggies outscored the Gauchos by three points in the first half, maintaining a narrow lead throughout the game. 

UC Davis built a narrow 3-point lead over UC Santa Barbara in the first half, outshooting UC Santa Barbara with four 3-pointers while limiting the Gauchos to just one. Carl Daughtery Jr. led the Aggies with 15 points in the opening 20 minutes. UC Davis also received significant contributions from its bench, scoring 15 points, 10 from Bradyden Fagbemi and five from Omer Suljanovic. The Gauchos were led by Miro Little's nine points in the opening frame. At the end of the first half, the Aggies led 34-31. 

Despite being outscored in points in the paint 22-12 by the Gauchos, UC Davis maintained its edge by capitalizing on a strong shooting performance to secure a 45-42 advantage in the second half. The Aggies shot 56 percent from the field, connecting on three 3-pointers and converting 12-of-16 free throws. At the final buzzer, the scoreboard read 77-73 in favor of UC Davis. 

The Aggies had 11 points off turnovers and a strong performances from several key players in their recent outing. Daughtery Jr. led the team with 24 points, including five three-pointers, and two steals. Marcus Wilson also made a notable impact with 17 points and three steals, demonstrating efficiency by making seven of his ten field goal attempts. Isaiah Chappell dominated the boards, securing nine rebounds, while also adding a block and a steal. Lastly, Omer Suljanovic added 12 points to the UC Davis' totals. 

The Gauchos scored 40 points in the paint and showcased several standout performances. CJ Shaw led the scoring effort, contributing 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including two three-pointers. Little added 13 points with seven rebounds and three assists. Hosana Kitenge was flawless from the field, hitting all six of attempts to finish with 15 points and six rebounds. 

The Aggies move on to the second round and will face No. 3 seed Cal State Fullerton, Thursday at 8:30 p.m.