Final Stats

DAVIS, Calif. -- Sophomore Rachel Nagel finished with a season-high 19 points off the bench to lead four other teammates in double figures and help lift the UC Davis women's basketball team to an 82-70 Big West Conference win over visiting Cal Poly on Wednesday night at The Pavilion.

UC Davis won back-to-back games for the first time since mid-January, improving to 14-9 overall and 7-3 in league play -- standing one win shy of last season's win totals from all of last year. The Mustangs, who received 21 points by Lisa Marie Sanchez and 17 rebounds from Hanna Gilbert, fell to 11-12 overall and 4-6 in conference action.

Nagel, who added a buzzer-beating three pointer from just inside the half court line to her highlight reel to tie the game at 18-all after one period, finished 7-of-13 from the field and added a career high-tying six rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench, falling just one point shy of her career high for points set against UC Irvine in last year's Big West Conference Tournament opener.

Senior Alyson Doherty added 17 points and six rebounds, sophomore Pele Gianotti chipped in 12 more, while senior Celia Marfone -- who led the team with seven rebounds -- and sophomore Dani Nafekh scored 10 points apiece.

Leading by four at the break, UC Davis trailed early in the third after a three-pointer by Lynn Leaupepe gave Cal Poly its first lead since the waining moments of the first quarter. The Aggies, however, responded with an 8-0 run to build up a seven-point advantage as a three-point play by Doherty was followed by a Kourtney Eaton three-pointer and a basket inside by Gianotti to go up 43-36 with 6:44 to go.

Dynn Leaupepe answered with a three to stop the bleeding and spark an 8-0 run for the Mustangs to regain the lead, but that would be their last. Nagel hit a pair from the line to give the advantage back to UC Davis, which scored 11 of the next 16 points to go up seven, 56-49, with 1:11 to play in the third and begin to inch away.

A three-pointer by Marfone three minutes into the fourth quarter built the Aggie advantage to double digits, and UC Davis led by as many 14 points on two occasions -- the last coming with 3:14 to play in the game. Cal Poly never got closer than nine as the Aggies scored five of their final six points from the line to clinch the win.

The Aggies, who out-scored the Mustangs, 44-32, in the paint and collected 22 points of 15 Cal Poly miscues, shot just over 45 percent from the field for the game, hit 19-of-23 from the line, and out-rebounded Cal Poly, 39-33.

UC Davis closes out its brief two-game homestand on Saturday (Feb. 13) at 2 p.m., hosting Cal State Fullerton for its second meeting with the Titans in a week's time.

UC DAVIS 82, CAL POLY 71

CAL POLY (11-12, 4-6 BWC)
Sanchez, Lisa Marie 7-16 4-4 21; Balbierz, Beth 6-9 3-4 17; Leaupepe, Dynn 7-15 0-0 16; Gilbert, Hannah 4-9 1-2 9; Leaupepe, Lynn 2-7 0-0 4; Fausey, Nikki 1-1 0-0 2; Nunnelley, Katie 1-3 0-0 2; Brown, Paige 0-0 0-0 0; Evans, Mary Kate 0-1 0-0 0; Anderson, Emily 0-1 0-0 0; Grupalo, Gabby 0-2 0-0 0; Stahley, Dye 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-65 8-10 71.

UC DAVIS (14-9, 7-3 BWC)
Nagel, Rachel 7-13 4-4 19; Doherty, Alyson 7-13 3-4 17; Gianotti, Pele 4-8 2-2 12; Nafekh, Dani 2-5 6-6 10; Marfone, Celia 4-6 1-3 10; Eaton, Kourtney 3-8 2-2 9; Bertsch, Morgan 2-11 0-0 4; Eaton, Karley 0-0 1-2 1; Johnson, Heidi 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-64 19-23 82.

Cal Poly...................... 18 13 20 20 - 71
UC Davis...................... 18 17 21 26 - 82

3-point goals--Cal Poly 7-22 (Sanchez, Lisa Marie 3-9; Leaupepe, Dynn 2-4; Balbierz, Beth 2-4; Evans, Mary Kate 0-1; Anderson, Emily 0-1; Grupalo, Gabby 0-1; Leaupepe, Lynn 0-2), UC Davis 5-13 (Gianotti, Pele 2-4; Nagel, Rachel 1-3; Eaton, Kourtney 1-2; Marfone, Celia 1-3; Nafekh, Dani 0-1). Fouled out--Cal Poly-Leaupepe, Lynn, UC Davis-None. Rebounds--Cal Poly 33 (Gilbert, Hannah 17), UC Davis 39 (Marfone, Celia 7). Assists--Cal Poly 11 (Sanchez, Lisa Marie 3), UC Davis 12 (Gianotti, Pele 4). Total fouls--Cal Poly 22, UC Davis 11. Technical fouls--Cal Poly-TEAM, UC Davis-None. A-572 Courtside technician: Ray Savorn