DAVIS, Calif. -- On the strength of 16 points and 10 rebounds from senior biomedical engineering major Morgan Bertsch, UC Davis won in convincing fashion on March 9, beating UC Santa Barbara 80-44 at The Pavilion in Davis, Calif., for the team's 14th consecutive victory.

The win moves UC Davis' overall record to 23-6, 15-1 in Big West play -- the latter establishing a new program mark for league victories. As the top seed in next week's Big West Conference Tournament, the Aggies await their next opponent in the semifinal round on Friday (March 15) at Noon at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

UC Santa Barbara drops to 8-21, 5-11 in the conference, with the loss.

In addition to the 16 points and 10 rebounds from Bertsch, the Aggies were bolstered by senior psychology major Karley Eaton, who put up 15 points and four assists, as well as senior psychology major Kourtney Eaton's 14 points and five assists. UC Santa Barbara was paced by 11 points, six rebounds and two steals from Tal Sahar and Danae Miller, who finished with nine points.

UC Davis started strong from the tip, opening up a lead of 22-7 after the first quarter. The Aggies shot 46.7% from the field in the period, including 50.0% from three, where they knocked down four shots. Offensively, UC Santa Barbara shot only 11.1% from the field and didn't make a three in the period.

After a first quarter that put them ahead, UC Davis expanded their edge through quarter number two and headed into halftime leading 43-18. The Aggies lead at the break was due in part to the stellar play of Kourtney Eaton, who produced eight points and four assists in the first half.

UC Davis then took that halftime lead and built on it, expanding the advantage to 67-34 heading into the fourth quarter. The Aggies shot 50.0% from the field in the period, including 50.0% from three, where they nailed five shots. With the basketball in their hands, UC Santa Barbara shot 35.7% from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc, where they made two threes.

UC Davis finished strong in the fourth quarter, expanding their third-quarter lead and winning by the final of 80-44. The Aggies victory was fueled in part by the outstanding second-half play of Karley Eaton, who put up nine points to finish out the victory.

Over the span of the game, UC Davis shot 42.6% from the field, including 48.1% from three, and knocked down 13 shots from downtown. UC Santa Barbara, on the other hand, finished 23.2% from the field and 19.0% from three, nailing four shots from deep. The Aggies received a significant contribution from their bench as well, as 23 of their 80 points came from non-starters. The Aggies won the battle on the boards, outrebounding UC Santa Barbara 48-32 and winning the offensive glass 12-9. UC Davis capitalized on those offensive rebounds to produce 18 second chance points. UC Davis was less cautious taking care of the basketball than UC Santa Barbara. The Aggies turned the ball over 10 times, while UC Santa Barbara coughed it up on nine 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.