SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- UC Davis won big on February 9, defeating Cal Poly 85-61 at Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks of senior biomedical engineering major Morgan Bertsch led the Aggies to victory in the contest.

The win moves UC Davis' overall record to 17-6, 9-1 in Big West play. Cal Poly drops to 5-15, 2-7 in conference, with the defeat.

Bertsch led UC Davis with 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks, but the Aggies received great contributions from senior psychology major Kourtney Eaton, who put up 15 points and six assists, as well as junior communication major Nina Bessolo and her 16 points. Cal Poly was paced by Hana Vesela, who had 13 points, to go with the 12 points from Gianna Silvestri.

UC Davis struggled to start out the contest, falling behind Cal Poly 18-17 after the first quarter. The Aggies managed 43.8% shooting from the field, including 33.3% from three, where they made two shots.

They got off to a rocky start in the first quarter, but a strong second period that saw them shoot 41.2% from the field and 40.0% from three put UC Davis out in front at halftime by the score of 41-35. The Aggies were buoyed in the first half by the effort of Bertsch, who put up 14 points before the break.

UC Davis then took that halftime lead and built on it, expanding the advantage to 71-46 heading into the fourth quarter. The Aggies shot 73.3% from the field in the period, including 100.0% from three, where they nailed seven shots. On the other end of the floor, Cal Poly shot 26.7% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc, where they made three threes.

In the fourth quarter, UC Davis took their third quarter lead and rode it to victory, winning by the score of 85-61. The Aggies win was due in part to the second-half performance from Bessolo, who had 14 points down the stretch.

Over the span of the game, UC Davis shot 48.3% from the field, including 50.0% from three, and knocked down 15 shots from downtown. Cal Poly, on the other hand, finished 37.9% from the field and 38.5% from three, sinking ten shots from deep. The Aggies received a significant contribution from their bench as well, as 28 of their 85 points came from non-starters. The Aggies won the battle on the boards, outrebounding Cal Poly 39-31 and winning the offensive glass 11-8. UC Davis was less cautious taking care of the basketball than Cal Poly. The Aggies turned the ball over 15 times, while Cal Poly coughed it up on 14 occasions. UC Davis made the giveaways count, however, racking up 19 points off those turnovers in the contest.

 

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.