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DAVIS, Calif. -- Junior cell biology major Cierra Hall celebrated her 21st birthday in a big way on Saturday afternoon, finishing with 17 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for her second double-double of the season, while the UC Davis defense limited UC Irvine to just 28 percent from the field en route to a 65-53 victory at The Pavilion.

The Aggies, who won their 28th consecutive home conference contest, avenged their loss to the Anteaters a week earlier, improving to 14-10 overall and 9-2 in Big West Conference play. UC Davis shot 47 percent overall from the floor while holding UC Irvine (8-17, 4-7) to just 6-for-35 (.171) in the middle two quarters to help the Aggies pull away.

Hall's 14 boards bested her previous high of 13 caroms accomplished twice -- the last coming as part of a 32-point, 13-rebound double-double against Boston University earlier this year. She grabbed four of those rebounds on the offensive end, giving her 67 for the year and setting a new program Division I single-season record, besting her own mark of 66 from last season.

Joining Hall in double figures was senior communication major Katie Toole, who added 12 points and two blocks, and freshman biomedical engineering major Campbell Gray, who helped out with a career-high 10 points off of the bench. Coming off back-to-back double-doubles, sophomore Sage Stobbart added seven points and nine rebounds.

UC Davis did a fantastic job disrupting UC Irvine shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Toole's two rejections led the way individually for the Aggies.

After falling behind 9-7, UC Davis went on a 7-0 run with 4:36 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Gray, to take a 14-9 lead. The Aggies then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 16-15 advantage. UC Davis did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring eight of its 16 points close to the basket.

UC Davis kept its first quarter lead intact before going on an 11-0 run starting at the 5:25 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Toole, to increase its lead to 35-23, a score that would hold until halftime. UC Davis dominated in the paint, scoring 16 of its 19 points close to the basket.

Following intermission, UC Davis continued to expand its advantage, pushing it to 48-34 before going on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Hall, to expand its lead further to 55-34 with six seconds to go in the third, a score which remained until the end of the third quarter. UC Davis played well near the basket, scoring 14 of its 20 points in the paint.

The Aggies then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter. UC Davis took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring eight of its 10 points in the paint.

UC Davis closes out a three-game homestand on Thursday (Feb. 20) at 11 a.m., hosting Cal State Fullerton in its inaugural "Field Trip" game, welcoming elementary and middle school students to The Pavilion.

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. 6-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, 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 animal science programs.

AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, 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.