Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -- Trailing by seven points midway through the second half, visiting UC Davis exploded for a 20-0 run over a span of eight-plus minutes, rallying the Aggies to a 60-49 win over host CSUN in the Big West Conference opener for both teams on Thursday night at The Matadome.

The win was the second-straight for UC Davis, which improved to 6-7 overall on the year and won only its second Big West opener since joining the league back in 2007-08. The Matadors fell to 10-5 overall with the loss, led by Ashlee Guay's 19 points.

"I thought the key for us was our consistent energy, from the tip to the finish," Head Coach Jennifer Gross said. "Northridge is such a talented team and they brought it in the second half. When we got down seven, I told our team, 'This is where we show what we're made of.'

"Little by little we just defended got some scores and I really was pleased with our defensive effort and energy. That's something we know we're going to have to hang our hats on as we continue on in conference play."

Junior center Alyson Doherty finished with her fourth double-double of the season, scoring a team-high 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the victory, while senior teammate Sydnee Fipps finished with 15 points and five rebounds, moving past both Jessica Campbell and Staci Stevens for second place on the school's all-time scoring list.

Junior Celia Marfone also added 10 rebounds in the victory as the Aggies edged the Matadors, 36-34, on the boards. UC Davis shot 41 percent from the floor for the game, while holding CSUN to just 30 percent from the field for the contest and just 17 points in the second half.

Tied at 32 at the break, the Aggies found themselves in a hold quickly to start the second half as the Matadors scored the first seven points of the period, and 13 of the first 18, en route to their largest lead of the game at 45-37 with just over 13 minutes to play. Held without a field goal for over five minutes until Kelsey Harris drained a three-pointer, the Aggies trailed by just seven points with 12:54 to go before turning it on and shutting down the CSUN offense.

After a basket inside by Bernadette Fong, Fipps drained a three-pointer to spark the decisive run as the Aggies got points from seven different players. Dani Nafekh's three-pointer from the top of the key gave UC Davis a one-point, 48-47, lead and the Aggies never looked back. Doherty had a basket inside and a pair of free throws, Harris finished with a pair from the line, while Briana Salvatore and Pele Gianotti piled on, holding the Matadors to without a point until Janae Sharpe hit a pair from the line with 23.9 remaining in the game to snap the skid.

A frantic start to the game saw the Matadors jump out early after Brianna Salvatore scored the first basket of the game for the Aggies, as a three-pointer by Guay gave CSUN its largest lead of the period at six points with just over four minutes gone. A pair of three-pointers from Fipps sandwiched around another by Harris fueled a 9-0 UC Davis run, giving the Aggies a lead, and another 9-2 sprint by the Aggies gave them their largest lead at 24-18 with just over seven minutes to play.

The Matadors answered as Guay slashed to the basket to spark a 12-5 burst for the home team, with a pair of free throws from Mahlknecht giving CSUN a two-point advantage. Doherty drew a foul inside and hit the front end of a 1-and-1, but the second caromed off and was tipped to a waiting Fipps at the left elbow, where the senior drained her third trey of the night for a 32-30 advantage.

Jasmine Johnson then drew a foul going up for a rebound on the defensive end for the Matadors, calmly sinking both from the line, and the Aggies missed a three at the horn, as the teams headed into the locker room tied at 32.

UC Davis completed the Southern California swing on Saturday (Jan. 10) at 2 p.m., taking on Long Beach State at The Walter Pyramid.