DAVIS, Calif. (Interstat) — A blistering shooting display from beyond the arc propelled UC Davis to a 89-80 victory over Cal State Northridge in a Big West Conference men’s basketball opener for both teams on Thursday night at The Pavilion.

The Aggies connected on 15 of 30 three-point attempts, a 50% clip that proved to be the decisive factor in a game where the teams were otherwise closely matched in many statistical categories. The Matadors, by contrast, made just 8 of 23 from long range.

Connor Sevilla and Marcus Wilson spearheaded the UC Davis perimeter assault. Sevilla, a guard from San Ramon, California, led all scorers with 23 points, sinking five three-pointers. Wilson, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, added 19 points and a game-high five assists, hitting four shots from deep. Isaiah Chappell contributed 16 points for the Aggies, who improved to 8-5 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Cal State Northridge, which fell to 8-7 and 0-1, was led by Josiah Davis’s 21 points. Larry Hughes scored 17 and Davius Loury finished with 11 points, five assists and two blocks for the Matadors.

The game’s pivotal stretch came early in the second half. After trailing 38-33 at halftime, UC Davis erupted with a 14-4 run to start the period, seizing a lead it would not relinquish. The surge was fueled by consecutive three-pointers from Sevilla and Wilson, quickly turning a five-point deficit into a five-point advantage and forcing a Cal State Northridge timeout just over three minutes into the half.

The Matadors repeatedly fought to close the gap, drawing within three points on several occasions, but each time the Aggies had an answer from long distance. When Cal State Northridge cut the lead to 66-63 with just over nine minutes remaining, Chappell responded with a three-pointer off a pass from Nils Cooper. After a Matadors basket, Sevilla hit a step-back three to push the lead back to seven.

UC Davis finally created decisive separation in the final five minutes. Leading 77-74, the Aggies forced a turnover and Wilson capitalized with his fourth three-pointer of the night. On the next possession, Wilson stole the ball and, after a missed shot, Connor Sevilla scored on a driving layup to extend the margin to eight points with 3:32 to play, effectively sealing the outcome.

Despite the loss, Cal State Northridge won the battle on the offensive glass, grabbing 11 rebounds to UC Davis’s six, and both teams recorded 10 assists and 10 steals. The Matadors also committed 15 turnovers, matching the Aggies’ total. However, UC Davis’s superior efficiency, underscored by an offensive rating of 116.3 points per 100 possessions compared to Northridge’s 102.1, and its torrid three-point shooting made the difference.

Niko Rocak provided a strong all-around effort for UC Davis with eight points, eight rebounds and five assists. For the Matadors, Mahmoud Fofana tallied 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Joshua O’Garro added 10 points and seven rebounds.

The game, played before a crowd of 923, saw UC Davis outperform its pregame expectations as a 4.5-point favorite, while the combined score of 169 points fell under the betting total of 166.5.

Both teams return to conference action on Saturday. Cal State Northridge will host UC Santa Barbara, while UC Davis will welcome Cal State Bakersfield.