DAVIS, Calif. (Interstat) — North Alabama overcame an early double-digit deficit and a late UC Davis push, defeating the Aggies 79-75 at The Pavilion at ARC on Monday in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game. The visiting Lions improved to 1-0, while UC Davis fell to 0-1. North Alabama scored its 79 points from 76 possessions and posted an offensive rating of 103.5. UC Davis scored 75 points from 75 possessions and finished with an offensive rating of 99.7. The game featured a contrast in ball movement, a significant edge on the offensive glass for the Aggies, and a late sequence of perimeter baskets and free throws that decided the outcome.

North Alabama shot 24 of 49 from the floor, 10 of 26 from three-point range and 21 of 28 from the free-throw line. UC Davis shot 23 of 57 overall, 8 of 25 from beyond the arc and 21 of 30 at the line. UC Davis held a 9-5 edge in offensive rebounds and a 12-5 advantage in assists. North Alabama blocked three shots. The Lions committed 19 turnovers to UC Davis’ 13 and were whistled for 22 fouls to the Aggies’ 23. North Alabama’s efficiency came despite a lower assist total and a turnover margin that favored UC Davis. The Lions made 10 3-pointers and 21 free throws to offset UC Davis’ 23 field goals.

Mike Evbagharu led North Alabama with 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one block in 30 minutes. The 6-foot-4 guard from Scarborough, Canada, who previously attended Royal Crown Academic School, hit a first-half 3-pointer and made several late free throws. Evbagharu’s double-double anchored the Lions, while Lax’s 19 points led all scorers. Quan Lax added 19 points, three rebounds and one assist in 20 minutes. Caden Harris had 11 points, six rebounds and one assist in 26 minutes. Drey Carter contributed 11 points, one rebound and one assist in 25 minutes.

Jalen Stokes paced UC Davis with 18 points, six rebounds and one assist in 28 minutes. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound guard who previously attended Dougherty Valley High School was effective near the rim and at the free-throw line. Stokes’ 18 points were the most for UC Davis, and Chappell and Sevilla each reached double figures. Isaiah Chappell added 12 points and four rebounds in 31 minutes. Connor Sevilla scored 12 points with two rebounds and one assist in 29 minutes. Brayden Fagbemi finished with 11 points, one rebound and five assists in 29 minutes. Veniamin Abosi had 10 points, six rebounds and one assist in 22 minutes, and Clarence Massamba added four points, four rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes.

UC Davis came out hot. Isaiah Chappell made 3-pointers on consecutive early possessions, Jalen Stokes added a dunk and a free throw, and Connor Sevilla made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. Aleks Szymczyk’s 3-pointer at the 15:03 mark of the first half gave the Aggies a 15-2 lead. North Alabama responded with a 17-4 run to tie the score at 19. Quan Lax’s 3-pointer and layup keyed the rally, and Drey Carter hit back-to-back 3-pointers to trim the deficit to 15-13. Caden Harris made a 3-pointer to tie the score at 19, and the first half turned into a back-and-forth affair. UC Davis closed the half with a 45-36 lead after Brayden Fagbemi made two free throws, and Mike Evbagharu hit a 3-pointer for North Alabama just before halftime.

North Alabama began the second half with Drey Carter’s free throws and Mike Evbagharu’s layup. Cortez Graham-Howard made a layup and a dunk to keep the Lions close. UC Davis held a 64-58 lead after Veniamin Abosi’s layup with 8:13 remaining. The Aggies’ offensive rebounding and assist advantage helped them maintain a cushion for much of the second half, but North Alabama stayed within striking distance. Ansar Osman hit a 3-pointer at the 8-minute mark, and after Julius Clark made a free throw, Osman drilled another 3-pointer with 5:48 left to give North Alabama a 65-64 lead. The lead changed hands again when Connor Sevilla made a free throw to tie it at 65 and Abosi converted a layup for a 67-65 UC Davis edge.

The decisive stretch came in the final three minutes. Mike Evbagharu made two free throws with 2:53 remaining to tie the score at 67. Jalen Stokes answered with a layup at 2:28 to put UC Davis ahead 69-67, but Caden Harris hit a 3-pointer with 2:02 left to give North Alabama a 70-69 lead. Quan Lax followed with a layup at 1:48 for a 72-69 cushion. Stokes made one free throw at 1:27, and Evbagharu made two free throws with 54.1 seconds left to push the lead to 74-70. Lax made two free throws at 39.5 seconds, Jarron Talley made two at 27.7 seconds, and Lax added two more at 9.8 seconds as the Lions protected the advantage. UC Davis got a late layup from Sevilla and a free throw from Stokes, and Fagbemi scored at the buzzer to produce the final margin.

The victory gave North Alabama a 1-0 record. UC Davis slipped to 0-1. The Lions are next scheduled to host Union (Tenn.) before visiting Oklahoma, Miami (Fla.), DePaul and Charlotte, with home games against Fisk, Tusculum, Alabama A&M, Tennessee-Martin and Cumberland (Tenn.) also on the early schedule. The Aggies will host Menlo before games against Incarnate Word, Sacramento State, Alabama State, Omaha, Jacksonville State, Pacific, Portland, North Dakota State and California Baptist.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected UC Davis to win 83-72. Its ELO system had given UC Davis an 88.8 percent probability of winning. UC Davis had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -9.5. The over/under line was 148.5, and the game’s total score was 154.