Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- UC Davis senior Sydnee Fipps tallied her second double-double of the season with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead two other teammates in double figures, but host Cal Poly hit its free throws down the stretch and held off the Aggies for a 72-64 win on Thursday night at the Mott Athletic Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

After winning four of five, UC Davis dropped its second straight, falling to 8-10 overall and 3-3 in Big West Conference play. The Mustangs, led by a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds from Taryn Garza, improved to 10-9 overall and 5-2 in league play.

Fipps hit 7-of-12 from the floor while matching her season high on the boards, as the Aggies also got double-digit games from juniors Alyson Doherty and Heidi Johnson, who added 10 points apiece. Doherty also chipped in a career-high six assists to go with five rebounds.

Kristen Ale led Cal Poly with 17 points while leading scorer Ariana Elegado was held to just 10 points -- almost six below her season average -- but added six assists and four rebounds in the win.

An 18-4 run spanning the two halves gave the Mustangs their largest lead at 46-30 just four minutes in to the second period. The lead grew to 17 points before the Aggies began to chip away. Seven straight points by Johnson cut the deficit down to 12, and UC Davis clawed back to within single digits, making it a five-point game at 54-49 with 9:37 to go on a slash to the basket by Taylor McGuire, forcing a Cal Poly timeout.

The Aggies' defense clamped down over the final six minutes, holding the Mustangs to just one field goal until the closing seconds, but could not capitalize offensively, missing seven of their final 11 shots on the other end -- including 2-for-7 from three-point range. Meanwhile, Cal Poly hit 11-of-16 from the line to hold off any rally.

UC Davis kept it close for most of the first half, finding an answer for each run by the Mustangs and trailing by only two on a free throw by Celia Marfone with just over two minutes to play in the period after falling behind by as many as eight to that point. Cal Poly, which shot 47 percent in the first half, had one last gasp left, closing on a 7-0 run -- capped by a deep three from Ale as time expired -- to carry a 35-26 lead into the locker room.

The Aggies shot just under 39 percent from the floor -- the first time the UC Davis has been held under 40 percent in a game since the season opener against top-ranked UConn at The Pavilion. The Mustangs finished shooting 43 percent from the field and out-rebounded UC Davis, 50-38, for the game.

A trip to UC Santa Barbara on Saturday (Jan. 31) closes out the Central Coast road trip for the Aggies, as the two will tip-off at The Thunderdome at 2 p.m.

CAL POLY 72, UC DAVIS 64
UC DAVIS (8-10 (3-3 BWC))
Fipps, Sydnee 7-12 2-3 19; Doherty, Alyson 4-10 2-2 10; Johnson, Heidi 4-8 1-2 10; Nagel, Rachel 3-8 1-2 8; McGuire, Taylor 2-5 0-0 5; Beyer, Lauren 2-4 0-1 4; Harris, Kelsey 1-5 0-2 3; Yasukochi, Brianne 0-0 2-2 2; Nafekh, Dani 1-3 0-0 2; Marfone, Celia 0-3 1-2 1; Salvatore, Brianna 0-2 0-0 0; Gianotti, Pele 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-62 9-16 64.

CAL POLY (10-9 (5-2 BWC))
Ale, Kristen 4-9 5-7 17; Garza, Taryn 6-15 2-7 14; Elegado, Ariana 4-11 2-2 10; Koehler, Rachel 3-3 2-4 8; Leaupepe, Dynn 3-9 2-2 8; Sanchez, Lisa Marie 2-3 0-0 5; Gilbert, Hannah 2-4 0-2 4; Balbierz, Beth 1-4 0-2 2; Leaupepe, Lynn 0-2 2-4 2; Evans, Mary Kate 1-1 0-0 2; Lipton, Sarah 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-61 15-30 72.

UC Davis...................... 26 38 - 64
Cal Poly...................... 35 37 - 72

3-point goals--UC Davis 7-28 (Fipps, Sydnee 3-8; Johnson, Heidi 1-2; Nagel, Rachel 1-3; McGuire, Taylor 1-3; Harris, Kelsey 1-4; Marfone, Celia 0-3; Salvatore, Brianna 0-2; Gianotti, Pele 0-1; Nafekh, Dani 0-2), Cal Poly 5-17 (Ale, Kristen 4-8; Sanchez, Lisa Marie 1-2; Elegado, Ariana 0-2; Balbierz, Beth 0-3; Leaupepe, Lynn 0-2). Fouled out--UC Davis-None, Cal Poly-Garza, Taryn. Rebounds--UC Davis 38 (Fipps, Sydnee 10), Cal Poly 50 (Garza, Taryn 14). Assists--UC Davis 16 (Doherty, Alyson 6), Cal Poly 15 (Elegado, Ariana 6). Total fouls--UC Davis 18, Cal Poly 17. Technical fouls--UC Davis-None, Cal Poly-None. A-658