DAVIS, Calif. — The UC Davis women's basketball team reigns supreme once again.

Senior Katie Toole and sophomore Sage Stobbart each poured in a team-high 17 points, junior Mackenzie Trpcic added seven assists, and junior Cierra Hall grabbed a game-high 10 boards, leading the Aggies to at least a share of their fourth consecutive Big West Conference regular season title, sinking UC Riverside 78-69 on "Senior Day" at the Pavilion.

UC Davis would clinch the title outright should Hawai'i fall at Cal State Fullerton later Saturday night. The Aggies, who secured the No. 1 seed for the Big West Conference Tournament and the league's automatic berth to the Women's National Invitation Tournament with Saturday's victory, improved to 16-11 overall and 11-3 in league play, moving 2 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Rainbow Wahine ahead of their game against the Titans.

Led by 21 points from Jannon Otto, the Highlanders fell to 8-20 overall and 4-10 in league.

The regular season title is the fifth overall for UC Davis, which became the first Big West school to win four straight crowns since UC Santa Barbara won 10 consecutive crowns from 1995-2005, and is now one of only three schools in conference history to win at least four in a row when you include Long Beach State's run of four straight from 1986-89.

Leading by as many as 15 points in the game, the Aggies fell behind by a point midway through the third after the Highlanders opened the period on a 13-5 run, but the advantage wouldn't last long. Senior Nina Bessolo drained one of her three triples on the night, followed by three-pointers from Trpcic and Toole, and UC Davis was off to the races.

The burst was part of a larger 14-3 burst for the Aggies, who built a 10-point lead and they never looked back. UC Davis led by 11 at the end of the third and pushed the advantage to 15 with baskets by Toole and Evanne Turner to open the fourth.

UC Riverside closed to within five points twice in the final two minutes, but would come no closer as the Aggies buried their final four from the line to set off the celebration.

Trpcic added 11 points to augment her seven assists, while senior Sophia Song finished with 10 points in her final regular season home appearance. UC Davis shot a collective 44 percent from the floor and 47 percent from three-point range, while Hall added three steals to help pace the defense.

The Aggies close out the regular season on the road with a trip to Southern California, taking on CSUN on Thursday (March 5) at 7 p.m. in Northridge, before closing out the regular season with a trip to Long Beach State on Saturday (March 7) at 4 p.m.

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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.