DAVIS, Calif. -- UC Davis sophomore Nir Gross finished with a first-half hat trick en route to a four-goal day, while junior George Kuesis added three assists, as the No. 13-ranked Aggies remained unbeated in Western Water Polo Association play with an 18-6 victory over Fresno Pacific on Friday afternoon at Schaal Aquatic Center.

Featuring an offense that saw 11 different players enter the scoring column, UC Davis improved to 9-7 overall and 3-0 in the WWPA, breaking the match wide open by outscoring the Sunbirds by a 10-2 count in the second half.

Led by a pair of goals each from Uros Pelemis and Tyler Gentry, Fresno Pacific fell to 5-15 overall and 0-4 in conference play.

Gentry put the Aggies in an early hole with the first goal of the match on Friday, but UC Davis quickly responded to the tune of six consecutive scores. Gross scored back-to-back goals a minute apart to jumpstart the run, while senior Eric Martel added two more and Kyle Reilly and Holden Tamblyn each found the back of the cage en route to a 6-2 advantage after the first quarter -- the latter scoring on a 5-meter attempt with just 28 seconds remaining in the period.

Sophomore Spencer Towill scored on the power play to start the second quarter before the Sunbirds answered with Jacob Fairchild and Pelemis scoring a minute apart late in the period. Gross added his third of the half on another 5-meter attempt with 31 seconds remaining for an 8-4 lead at the break.

From that point on, the Aggies were off to the races, opening the second half with three straight scores by Gross, Tamblyn, and Patrick Burke, before adding a fourth by Reilly with 14 seconds remining in the quarter, and UC Davis answered Gentry's goal to start the fourth with the final six scores of the contest. Junior Jack Stafford started the run with his only goal of the match, followed by scores off the hands of freshman Stefan Venne, sophomore Ian Ambidge, freshman Levi Murtaugh, and a pair from senior Max Somple, to cap the scoring.

UC Davis out-shot Fresno Pacific, 38-31, converting on 4-of-7 powerplay opportunities, and sinking all three of its attempts from 5-meters. Junior Jonah Addington got the start and finished with four first-half saves, while freshmen Duncan Creed and Lee Hildinger split duties in the second half, ending the day with three and two saves, respectively.

The Aggies close out the weekend on Sunday (Oct. 20) at Noon as they play host to Concordia in another WWPA contest at Schaal Aquatics Center. Admission to the game is free.

#13 UC DAVIS 18, FRESNO PACIFIC 6
FPU — 2-2-1-1 — 6
UCD — 6-2-4-6 – 18

UC DAVIS GOALS: Nir Gross 4, Kyle Reilly 2, Eric Martel 2, Max Somple 2, Holden Tamblyn 2, Patrick Burke 1, Spencer Towill 1, Ian Ambidge 1, Jack Stafford 1, Stefan Venne 1, Levi Murtaugh 1
FRESNO PACIFIC GOALS: Uros Pelemis 2, Tyler Gentry 2, Curtis Vidinoff 1, Jacob Fairchild 1
SAVES: Jonah Addington (UCD) - 4, Duncan Creed (UCD) - 3, Lee Hildinger (UCD) 2; Josh Ramage (FPU) - 10, Michael Hicks (FPU) - 2
 

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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 15 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.

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