DAVIS, Calif. — Senior biomedical engineering major Morgan Bertsch finished with a game-high 29 points to move into seventh place on the Big West Conference's all-time scoring list, while host UC Davis shot 53 percent from the floor and a perfect 16-of-16 from the free throw line in cruising to an 80-57 victory over UC Irvine on Saturday afternoon at The Pavilion.

The Aggies improved to 11-6 overall and 3-1 in Big West play with the victory, winning for the eighth time in their last nine contests and their sixth-in-a-row at home — all the while clinching their 16th consecutive home win against a league opponent.

Led by 11 points apiece from Andee Ritter and Brooke Bayman, the Anteaters fell to 12-4 overall and 2-2 in league play, limited to just 30 percent shooting from the field overall and 25 percent from beyond the arc.

The team's performance at the line fell just one short of the all-time single game record of 17-for-17 against Whitworth on Dec. 3, 1993, while Bertsch finished 11-for-11 from the line to establish a new individual single-game record, breaking the mark of 10-for-10 held by four former UC Davis greats: Ellen Porshneva (2003 at Chico State), Jennifer Goodwin (1994 at Sacramento State), Ashley Stevens (1992 at Grand Canyon), and Lisa Jo Kellogg (1989 at UC Riverside).

Bertsch finished 8-of-14 from the field overall, adding five assists and three blocked shots in 27 minutes, collecting her sixth consecutive 20-point game, her 12th such game of the season, and the 50th such outing of her career. The performance pushed her past UC Riverside's Kemie Nkele for seventh on the league's scoring list with 2,084 career points, putting her just 56 points shy of Idaho's Alli Nieman (2,140 points from 1996-00).

Nine different Aggies finished in the scoring column as junior communication major Nina Bessolo added 12 points on a quartet of three-pointers, hitting 4-of-7 from the floor in 15 minutes, while senior psychology major Kourtney Eaton added 10 points and seven assists. Freshman Sage Stobbart shared game-high honors with nine rebounds, helping UC Davis to a 43-32 advantage on the glass.

The Aggies did not trail for the second straight contest and the seventh time overall this season, leading by 20 at the break and by as many as 30 points with over five minutes to play in the the fourth quarter. However, it was a 15-3 run to end the second quarter allowing UC Davis to pull away, turning an eight-point lead into a 43-23 advantage heading into the locker room, as the defense held the Anteaters to without a field goal over the final five minutes of the period.

Shooting better than 50 percent from the field in three of the four quarters on the day, the Aggies shot better than 40 percent from the floor for the ninth consecutive game dating back to Dec. 2 at Montana, hitting better than half their shots for the third time during that run.

UC Davis returns to action on the road with a pair in Southern California next week, heading to Northridge for a rematch of last year's Big West Tournament final against CSUN on Thursday (Jan. 24) at 7 p.m. in a game to be shown live on ESPN3. The Aggies then close out the trip with a quick rematch against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday (Jan. 26) at 2 p.m.

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.