DAVIS, Calif. -- UC Davis ran away with one on February 28, defeating Long Beach State 66-49 at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif., to clinch a share of its third consecutive Big West Conference title and lock up the No. 1 seed in the league's postseason tournament. The 25 points, six rebounds, two steals and three blocks of senior biomedical engineering major Morgan Bertsch led the Aggies to the win in the contest.

UC Davis' overwhelming win moves their overall record to 20-6, 12-1 in Big West play, winning for the 11th consecutive contest -- a new program Division I record -- while winning at least 20 games for the third consecutive year. Long Beach State drops to 8-19, 5-9 in the conference, with the defeat.

In addition to the 25 points, six rebounds, two steals and three blocks from Bertsch, the Aggies were helped by senior psychology major Kourtney Eaton, who put up 13 points, five assists and two steals, as well as sophomore cell biology major Cierra Hall's seven points, 12 rebounds and two steals. Long Beach State was paced by 16 points from Naomi Hunt and Shanaijah Davison, who finished with 14 points.

UC Davis started strong out of the gate, opening up a lead of 19-8 after the first quarter. The Aggies shot 50.0% from the field in the period, including 57.1% from three, where they made four shots. When they had the ball, Long Beach State shot only 18.2% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc, where they made two threes.

After pulling ahead in the first quarter, UC Davis preserved their lead through quarter number two and headed into halftime leading 30-20. The lead at intermission was in part due to the excellent play of Bertsch, who had ten points, two steals and two blocks in the first half.

UC Davis then took that halftime lead and built on it, expanding the advantage to 50-31 heading into the fourth quarter. The Aggies shot 60.0% from the field in the period, including 50.0% from three, where they nailed two shots. Long Beach State shot 20.0% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc, where they made two triples.

In the fourth quarter, UC Davis took their third-quarter lead and rode it to victory, winning by the score of 66-49. The win was due in part to the second-half performance from Bertsch, who had 15 points down the stretch.

Over the course of the contest, UC Davis shot 44.2% from the field, including 45.5% from three, and made ten shots from beyond the arc. Long Beach State, on the other hand, finished 30.2% from the field and 42.3% from three, knocking down 11 shots from deep. The Aggies won the battle on the boards, outrebounding Long Beach State 42-28 and winning the offensive glass 11-8. UC Davis was less cautious taking care of the basketball than Long Beach State. The Aggies turned the ball over 16 times, while Long Beach State coughed it up on 12 occasions.
 

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.