HONOLULU — In a battle befitting the top two teams in the Big West Conference standings, it was the UC Davis defense that won the war on Saturday night in Honolulu, holding host Hawai'i to just five fourth-quarter points and 25 percent shooting overall en route to a 65-48 victory in front of a season-high 1,900 in attendance at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Led by three players in double figures, the Aggies improved to 15-11 overall and 10-3 in Big West play, sweeping the regular season series from the Rainbow Wahine, who fell to 14-11 overall and 8-4 in league.
Katie Toole finished with a team-high 14 points, and was joined in double figures by freshman
Evanne Turner, who added 13 points, and junior
Cierra Hall, who finished with 11. Sophomore
Sage Stobbart finished with eight points and 11 rebounds — her eighth double-digit rebounding performance of the year and her fourth in the last six games.
Trailing by as many as eight points following a 1-for-9 start, UC Davis settled in and turned up the heat, closing to within a point at the end of the first and using a 13-0 run after trading baskets to start the second to turn the tide. After trailing by eight with 3:38 to play in the first, the Aggies exploded for a 24-4 run into the second quarter, leading by as many as 12 en route to a 33-26 advantage at the break.
UC Davis was then forced to weather the Hawai'i storm in the third, as the Rainbow Wahine used a 14-4 run to tie the game at 42-all. Undaunted, the Aggies answered, scoring seven of the final nine points of the third before taking complete control in the fourth.
A 10-0 burst gave UC Davis its largest lead of the game to that point at 59-46, and the Aggies piled on while the Rainbow Wahine went cold, scoring the final six points of the game while Hawai'i struggled to the tune of 2-for-17 in the period, including a 1-for-12 showing from beyond the arc.
The Aggies shot 43 percent overall and out-rebounded Hawai'i, 43-36, while shooting 41 percent from three-point range.
UC Davis closes out its home schedule on Saturday (Feb. 29) at 2:30 p.m., hosting UC Riverside at The Pavilion. The Aggies' senior class of
Sophia Song,
Nina Bessolo, and
Katie Toole, will be honored prior to tip-off.
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.
