PORTLAND, Ore. — Senior biomedical engineering major Morgan Bertsch tallied her 38th consecutive double-digit scoring performance, but the Aggies could not answer a 13-1 run by host Portland State to close the first half, breaking open a one-point game en route to a 65-50 victory on Friday afternoon at the Viking Pavilion in Portland, Ore.

UC Davis fell to 0-3 overall to start the season, heading to Pullman, Wash., on Sunday for a 1 p.m. clash with Washington State. The Vikings improved to 3-0 on the season, ending a brief two-game losing streak to the Aggies in the process.

Bertsch scored 12 of her team-high 19 in the second half to finish as the only Aggie in double figures, hitting 9-of-10 from the line and narrowly missing out on a double-double with nine rebounds. Junior human development major Cierra McKeown added eight points off the bench while junior communication major Nina Bessolo added six rebounds and a team-high three steals.

The 19 points from Bertsch now give her 1,734 for her career, tying her with Cal State Fullerton's Shayla Bradshaw for 16th on the Big West Conference all-time scoring list, needing just nine more to pass the Titans' Megan Richardson for a spot in the top 15.

Trailing by six midway through the first quarter UC Davis fired off an 8-2 run to close the quarter and tie the game at 15-all after the first 10 minutes, and withstood a mini run by Portland State to start the second, closing to within a point on a pair of free throws by Bertsch at 20-19 with 5:58 to play.

From that point on, the Vikings took control as Kylie Jimenez drained a three-pointer to start a 7-0 burst as Portland State took a, 33-20, lead into the locker room at the break.

Adjustments at the half paid off as the Aggies opened the third quarter by scoring seven of the first 10 points to make it a single-digit game once again at 36-27 with 7:35 to play and were within eight after a Bertsch basket inside a minute later. However, a jumper by Pia Jurhar sparked a 15-3 run that spilled over into the fourth quarter and the Vikings never looked back.

UC Davis out-rebounded Portland State, 43-41, including 19 offensive rebounds that led to 20 second-chance points.

Ashley Bolston finished with a triple-double of 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, hitting 13 of her points from the line, while Jimenez added 17 points and six assists to lead the Vikings.

ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.