Dec. 17, 2007

DAVIS, Calif. - Jessica Campbell posted game-highs with 28 points and nine rebounds while Haylee Donaghe added 23 points and five steals as UC Davis raced to a 98-91 nonconference women's basketball victory over Saint Mary's on Monday evening at The Pavilion.

The win was the Aggies' first since Nov. 27 and snapped a three-game losing streak, improving their record to 6-3. Saint Mary's, which was led by seven three-pointers and 26 points from guard Jontelle Smith, fell to 6-6.

Campbell and Donaghe each posted season-high scoring totals while Heather Bates and Monica Mertle each scored in double-figures as well with 16 and 12 points, respectively. Guards Kirsten Commins and Anna Harp each had eight assists for UC Davis, which finished with 29, just one short of tying a 14-year-old school record. The Aggies also tallied a season-high 18 steals, led by Donaghe's five.

UC Davis, which led 51-48 after a high-scoring first half, led throughout the second half but saw an 84-68 lead with 9 minutes, 6 seconds to go nearly completely erased with a 13-0 run by Saint Mary's that made it 84-81 with 6:57 left. Campbell, however, scored four points and Mertle hit one of her four treys as the Aggies rebuilt the lead to 93-83. The Gaels did not get closer than six points the rest of the way.

Both teams applied tough defensive pressure throughout the game and pushed the ball which helped lead to a combined 46 turnovers. Saint Mary's had 25 and UC Davis finished with 21.

"Tonight was just forgetting about how you feel and doing what it takes to win the game," said Aggie coach Sandy Simpson. "We took shots with more confidence and stepped up. We took our time and made plays."

The Aggies were coming off three consecutive games against teams that advanced to last year's NCAA Tournament and had not played since losing at nationally ranked Arizona State on Dec. 9. Despite the layoff, UC Davis came out strong in the first half, scoring the game's first eight points on its way to an early 12-2 lead. Campbell had six points during that early surge as the Aggies made six of their first nine shots.

Sparked by a trio of three-pointers, including a pair from Serena Benavente, the Gaels battled back with a 15-2 run of their own to take a 17-14 lead with 13:21 left in the half. They eventually built the lead to 30-20 at the 9-minute mark and continued to hold the advantage until back-to-back three-pointers by Mertle helped give the Aggies the lead at 42-41. Bates' layup with 3:36 to go gave UC Davis the lead for good.

Campbell made 12 of 17 shots in the game, adding four assists, a blocked shot and two steals Three of her rebounds came on the offensive end. She scored just two points shy of her career-high of 30, tallied at Portland State in 2005. Donaghe, whose 23 points included a trio of three-pointers, nearly equalled her career-high of 24 points which she scored against Cal State Fullerton last season.

UC Davis was 11 of 21 from long distance in the game, finishing the game at 52.7 percent from the floor overall. The Aggies also outrebounded an opponent for just the second time this season, finishing with a 39-38 advantage.

Smith was 7 of 13 from three-point territory for Saint Mary's which shot 49.3 for the game overall, including a sparkling 12 of 25 (48 percent) from three-point. Shaughnessy had six assists while center Louella Tomlinson had five blocks to go with her 18 points. Sierra Chambers came off the bench to score 11 points.

UC Davis will face its third West Coast Conference foe of the season, and its second in a row, on Thursday when it travels to face San Francisco for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The game will begin a season-long four-game road swing for the Aggies.