Jan. 2, 2010

Final Stats

FULLERTON, Calif. - Megan Richardson scored 20 points to lead four players in double figures on Saturday as Cal State Fullerton pulled away from UC Davis down the stretch to post a 68-57 win in the Big West Conference women's basketball opener for both teams at Titan Gym.

The Aggies dropped their third straight game, falling to 7-6 overall. Heidi Heintz scored 14 points to pace UC Davis while Haylee Donaghe, Kasey Riecks and Paige Mintun each added 11. Cal Sate Fullerton, which ended a two-game losing streak, improved to 5-8 while also getting 14 points from Lyndsey Grove, 13 from Jasmine Scott and 12 from Britt Peters.

UC Davis and Fullerton were close throughout much of the game. The matchup featured 15 lead changes and five ties but it were the Titans who were able to get separation in the final minutes. The Aggies enjoyed their final lead with 14 minutes, 58 seconds remaining when Heintz's three-point play put them in front 38-36.

Grove, though, tied it with a layup nearly two minutes later and then Peters made two free throws to give the Titans the lead for good. UC Davis stayed close and was just down 48-45 after a pair of free throws from Mintun with 6:35 to play. Richardson. though, hit a three to help Fullerton score five of the next six points as it stretched the lead to seven.

UC Davis was only down five later but Peters hit a long three to stretch the deficit to 56-48 with 3:12 remaining. The Aggies got no closer than six points the remaininder of the game.

"I think you have to credit Fullerton's defense," said Aggie coach Sandy Simpson. "I thought they contested almost every shot that we took. We just couldn't finish tonight. They were the aggressor on both ends of the floor tonight. I really felt that was the difference in the game."

The first half saw the teams exchange the lead nine times and be tied on four other occasions. A three-pointer from Heintz put the Aggies in front 21-20 late in the half but the Titans rallied to take a 27-26 advantage at the break. . Neither team was able to forge a leader large r than four points over the first 20 minutes.

A 7-0 run early in the second half, keyed by a three-pointer from Donaghe and baskets from Lauren Juric and Riecks gave UC Davis its biggest lead after intermission, 33-29 with 17:11 left. Fullerton scored the next five points, though, and the teams were close until the Titans' final surge.

UC Davis, which entered the game leading the Big West in free throws, made just 9 of 18. It was also outrebounded 42-36 with Heintz, Riecks and Mintun each grabbing six. Mintun was playing her first game after missing the last four with a foot injury.

Richardson helped her total with a pair of three-pointers, a total matched by Peters and Grove.

"I think this game got our attention," Simpson said. "Hopefully we're going to learn from this because the Big West is going to be like this every single night. Every game is going to be like this for every team around the league so we better get ready for some dogfights."

UC Davis returns to action on Monday when it visits Cal State Northridge for a 7 p.m. matchup. Pacific beat the Matadors 76-70 in overtime on Saturday.