Jan. 22, 2011

Final Stats

STOCKTON, Calif. - Paige Mintun scored 19 points, set the school record for career blocks, and UC Davis used a 14-0 run covering both halves to take the lead for good as the Aggies downed host Pacific 65-57 in a Big West Conference women's basketball game at Alex G. Spanos Center on Saturday afternoon.

UC Davis, ranked 10th in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, improved to 14-4 overall and 4-2 in the conference. The Tigers, paced by 12 points from Danielle Peacon, fell to 5-14 overall and 2-4 in the Big West.

The Aggies also snapped a three-game losing streak at Pacific. Mintun had three blocks in the game, giving her 120 for her career and breaking Greene's mark of 119 set between 1992-96. Mintun added eight rebounds, six steals, two assists and knocked down a three-pointer during her busy afternoon.

Heidi Heintz added 18 points and eight rebounds, making 10 of 13 from the line, while pitching in with a team-high five assists.

Pacific scored five straight points for a 23-18 lead with 4 minutes, 18 seconds left in the first half after Ericka McKenzie's three-pointer but UC Davis used a 14-0 run from then until the first 90 seconds after halftime to go up 32-23. Mintun and Heintz combined for the first 12 points of the surge.

The Tigers, who trailed 30-23 at the break, were 0 for 5 from the field during the Aggies' run while also committing three turnovers.

"To go from a situation where we were really just trying to stay in the game most of the first half and overcome some of our own turnovers and errors, to actually having the lead at halftime in spite of that, was a real positive for us," said Aggie coach Sandy Simpson. "We knew they'd come out strong on us in the second half and they did. They cut the lead a few times but each time we were able to make a defensive play."

UC Davis didn't trail after going up 24-23 on Mintun's bucket inside late in the first half but weren't able to fully pull away from Pacific either. Mintun's three-pointer three minutes into the second half gave UC Davis its only double-digit lead of the game at 37-27 but the Tigers answered with eight straight to cut the lead to just 37-35.

The Aggies rebuilt the lead to as large as nine points the rest of the way but Pacific got to 57-54 with just under two minutes to go after a layup from Peacon. Guard Hannah Stephens, though, canned a key three-pointer with 1:25 on the clock for a six-point lead and UC Davis went 5 for 8 from the line in the final 45 seconds to turn back Pacific.

The game was tied twice and there were seven lead changes in the first half with Pacific twice taking five-point advantages before the Aggies rallied with 14 straight points.

Mintun has 26 blocks this season, helping her take the top spot in career blocks. She also helped UC Davis pick up 17 steals. Pacific had 25 turnovers while the Aggies committed just 12.

UC Davis will continue its three-game roadtrip with key matchups next weekend in Southern California. The Aggies will face UC Riverside on Thursday before taking on UC Irvine on Saturday.