Dec. 19, 2009

Final Stats

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Sophomore Kasey Riecks scored 11 points and senior Haylee Donaghe added 10 - including two clinching free throws with four seconds remaining - as UC Davis turned back host Yale 60-55 on Saturday afternoon in a nonconference women's basketball game, pushing the Aggies' winning streak to five games.

UC Davis improved to 7-3 on the season while Yale, which was paced by 16 points from Mady Gobrecht, saw its two-game winning streak snapped at two games. Yoyo Greenfield added 11 points for Yale while Megan Vasquez pitched in with 10. UC Davis is off to its best start after 10 games since beginning the 2003-04 season with a 7-3 mark.

Saturday's game was moved up two hours from its scheduled 4 p.m. (Pacific) start time due to expected inclement weather.

The Aggies led the entire way but saw double-digit leads in both halves whittled away by the Bulldogs who sliced an 11-point deficit in the first to just 33-31 at halftime, and a 45-35 disadvantage in the second half to just one point on two occasions.

UC Davis was up just 47-46 with 8:07 left in the game but eventually built it back twice to eight points, the last time coming at 57-49 with 3:14 to go on a layup from Hana Asano. Four straight points by Gobrecht - including two free throws with just over a minute left - made it 57-55 later while a 1-for-2 showing at the line by Asano kept it a one-possession game with 46 ticks on the clock.

But good Aggie defense on the perimeter forced a Bulldog turnover on a pass out of bounds, giving UC Davis the ball with 22 seconds to go. The Aggies played keepaway with it until Donaghe was fouled, leading to her clinching shots.

The Aggies, behind five early points from Riecks, jumped out to a big lead early in the game. They led 11-2 just four minutes in and eventually went in front 17-6 near the midway point on a layup from Heintz. The lead was still 28-18 with six minutes left in the half but a 9-3 surge by Yale over the minute three minutes made it just 33-31 at the break.

"You have to credit Yale," said Aggie coach Sandy Simpson. "Twice we got it out to at least a 10-point lead - once in the first half and again in the second - and they were able to make a game of it again and make a run. And what I was pleased was that we were able to respond at the end when we needed to.

"We had a really good defensive stop with under a minute to go and then Haylee knocked down the free throws that clinched it," he added.. "I couldn't have been happier with the way we responded when the pressure was really on."

UC Davis benefited form 29 turnovers by Yale, picking up a season-high 19 steals. Heintz had five while Riecks, Asano, Donaghe and Meggison each had three. Yale blocked 10 shots with Gobrecht and Haywood Wright swatting three each.

The Aggies are in the midst of their longest-winning streak since stringing together seven straight victories during their inaugural NCAA Division I season in 2007-08.

UC Davis will return to action on Monday when it visits Seton Hall for a 10 a.m. (Pacific) matchup.