LOS ANGELES — Senior biomedical engineering major Morgan Bertsch finished with a game-high 25 points while junior communication major Nina Bessolo poured in 14 more, but an 11-4 Loyola Marymount run over the final six-plus minutes snapped a 49-all tie and lifted the Lions to a 60-53 victory over visiting UC Davis on Tuesday afternoon at Gersten Pavilion.

The Aggies had their brief two-game winning streak snapped as they fell to 2-4 overall on the year, while LMU improved to 5-1 overall, winning the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Bertsch hit 7-of-16 from the field and a career-high 10-of-11 from the line en route to her third 20-point game of the season and moving her into 10th place on the Big West Conference all-time scoring list with 1,810 career points.

Bessolo finished with 11 of her 14 points in a blistering first half, finishing the day shooting 6-of-12 from the floor, including a pair of three-pointers. Sophomore cell biology major Cierra Hall added a team-high nine rebounds, while senior psychology major Kourtney Eaton added six assists and five rebounds.

Trailing by as many as six points midway through the third quarter, the Aggies clawed their way back in it, using a 10-0 run to erase the deficit and take a four-point, 42-38, advantage with 2:01 to play in the quarter. A jumper and pair of free throws by the Lions tied it up at the end of the third, sparking an 8-0 answer that carried over into the start of the fourth, staking the home team to a, 46-42, lead just one minute into the final period.

Free throws by Bertsch and a three by Karley Eaton regained the lead for the Aggies, and the two were tied with 6:45 to play after an "and one" by Andee Velasco and a basket inside by Bertsch. That's when LMU found its final kick, as Chelsey Gipson drained a three-pointer at the other end to spark the decisve 6-0 burst, and the Lions' defense limited UC Davis to just 2-of-10 from the floor down the stretch to inch away.

The Aggies' defense limited the Lions to just 32 percent shooting for the game — including a 28 percent clip in the opening half — as LMU held a one-point, 27-26, advantage at the break. UC Davis also blocked four shots: one each by Bertsch and Hall, and two more stuffs from freshman Sage Stobbart.

With her performance, Bertsch now needs just 12 more points to pass Audwin Thomas, a four-year letter winner for the men's basketball team from 1975-79, to become the all-time leading scorer in UC Davis men's and women's basketball history, while Kourtney Eaton is now just five assists away from matching Head Coach Jennifer Gross for the all-time record in the category.

The Aggies remain on the road this weekend, heading to Missoula, Mont., as one of four teams in the Lady Griz Classic hosted by Montana on Saturday (Dec. 1) and Sunday (Dec. 2). UC Davis opens against Nevada on Saturday at 11 a.m. PT, before taking on either the host Lady Griz or Northern Illinois on Sunday at a time to be determined.

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.