DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis junior cell biology major
Cierra Hall did a little bit of everything for Aggies as part of an unbeaten week, picking up Big West Conference player of the week honors for the first time in her career following wins over Cal Poly and UC Irvine.
Hall, who also picked up conference honors from College Sports Madness earlier in the day, becomes the first Aggie honored by the league office this season and the first since
Morgan Bertsch picked up her sixth award of the 2018-19 season on March 4 of last year.
Coming off only their second Big West defeat of the season, Hall helped power her team back into the win column with a sweep of its two games last week, powering past the Mustangs, 71-58, before avenging a loss to the Anteaters with a 65-53 triumph three days later.
Hall averaged a double-double for the week, putting up 15.5 points while grabbing 10.0 rebounds per game in the two contests and shooting a robust 65 percent (13-for-20) from the field. The Cypress, Calif., native has now reached double figures in each of her last four games (averaging 16.0 ppg in the process) and shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of the team's last five games, making baskets at a 57 percent clip combined in that span.
She finished with 14 points and six boards in the win over Cal Poly before coming up with her second double-double of the year in the win over UC Irvine, scoring 17 points and grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds against the Anteaters while hitting 8-of-13 from the field. The 14 boards eclipsed her previous career high of 13 accomplished twice — the last coming as part of a 32-point, 13-rebound, double-double against Boston University earlier this year.
The 14 rebounds are tied for third in the program's Division I single-game history, matching Sydnee Fipps' total against Sacramento State in 2013, and just one shy of the record of 15 held by Celia Marfone against both UC Riverside in 2014 and at UC Irvine in 2016. Hall's 174 rebounds this season are just five shy of the program's Division I single-season top 10 list and just 34 behind Marfone's record of 208 set during the 2014-15 campaign.
Her total also included four rebounds on the offensive end, giving her 67 for the year to set a new Division I single-season record in the category and the most since Ellen Porshneva finished with 70 offensive rebounds in 2004-05.
UC Davis returns to action on Thursday (Feb. 20) at 11 a.m., as the Aggies host Cal State Fullerton in their inaugural "Field Trip Day" at The Pavilion, joined by kids from local elementary and middle schools for the day.
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 15 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.
MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 women's athletics programs. Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year. All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs. Visit https://give.ucdavis.edu/ATHG/324041 for more information.
