ANAHEIM, Calif. -- In overwhelming fashion, UC Davis beat UC Irvine 82-50 in the Big West Tournament semifinals on March 15 in Anaheim, Calif. The 25 points and eight rebounds of reigning Big West Player of the Year Morgan Bertsch led the Aggies to the win in the game.

With the win, top-seeded UC Davis advances to the final of the Big West Conference Championships, where they'll face the winner of No. 3 UC Riverside and No. 2 Hawaii on Saturday at 3:30 pm. The victory extended the Aggies' winning streak to 15 consecutive games, which is tied for the third-longest in school history.

In addition to the 25 points and eight rebounds from Bertsch, the Aggies were bolstered by Cierra Hall, who put up 15 points and six rebounds, as well as first-team All-Big West selection Kourtney Eaton's 16 points. UC Irvine was paced by 22 points from Jordan Sanders and Lauren Saiki, who finished with seven points.

UC Davis started strong from the tip, opening up a lead of 24-13 after the first quarter. The Aggies shot 58.3% from the field in the period, including 57.1% from three, where they knocked down four shots. Offensively, UC Irvine shot only 31.6% from the field and 20.0% from beyond the arc, where they made one three.

After a first quarter that put them in control, UC Davis expanded their edge through quarter number two and headed into halftime leading 45-30. The Aggies lead at the break was due in part to the outstanding play of Eaton, who produced 14 points in the first half.

UC Davis then took that halftime edge and built on it, expanding the advantage to 66-35 heading into the fourth quarter. The Aggies shot 58.3% from the field in the period, including 66.7% from three, where they nailed two shots. With the basketball in their hands, UC Irvine shot 11.1% from the field and didn't make a three in the period.

UC Davis finished strong in the fourth quarter, expanding their third-quarter lead and winning by the final of 82-50. The Aggies victory was fueled in part by the outstanding second-half play of Bertsch, who put up 11 points to finish out the victory.

Over the course of the game, UC Davis shot 53.8% from the field, including 47.6% from three, and knocked down 10 shots from beyond the arc. UC Irvine, on the other hand, finished 25.0% from the field and 10.5% from three, drilling two shots from deep. The Aggies received a significant contribution from their bench as well, as 19 of their 82 points came from non-starters. UC Irvine had control of the boards in the contest, out-rebounding UC Davis 41-37 and controlling the offensive glass at a 20-5 clip. UC Davis was more careful taking care of the basketball than UC Irvine. The Aggies turned the ball over 10 times, while UC Irvine coughed it up on 11 occasions. UC Davis took advantage of the giveaways, scoring 21 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.