EUGENE, Ore. — Sophomore
Evanne Turner finished with a game-high 19 points, including five three-pointers, to lead three Aggies in double figures, while senior
Mackenzie Trpcic added a career-high 13 assists, but a huge fourth quarter by homestanding Oregon lifted the No. 12/11 Ducks to a come-from-behind 63-57 win at Matthew Knight Arena on Saturday night.
One of three remaining undefeated teams in the country entering the night, the Aggies took Pac-12 power Oregon (12-3 overall) down to the wire before falling to 5-1 overall on the year, leading for nearly 22 of the 40 minutes on the night, including a four-point advantage heading into the final quarter.
A 7-0 run over the final three-plus minutes of the first period staked UC Davis to a 16-12 lead after one, and the Aggies continued to heat up in the second, extending the run to a 14-5 burst to lead 23-17 with 5:18 remaining in the half — their largest lead of the game to that point. Meanwhile, UC Davis' defense limited the Ducks to just 21 percent (4-of-19) from the field in the first quarter, and 3-of-9 to start the second, before Oregon found a groove.
The Ducks answered with a 6-0 run at the end of the second quarter to tie the game at 25-all at the break, hitting three of their final four shots, and the two teams came out of the locker room trading blows to start the third, with Oregon eventually grabbing a 34-30 advantage just two minutes in.
Undaunted, UC Davis answered in a big way, draining three straight triples — two by Turner and another by
Cierra Hall — to regain the lead, 39-34, just 47 seconds later. A basket by Trpcic and another three-pointer from Turner made it a 14-4 burst and the Aggies rebuilt their largest lead of the game at 44-38 with 2:45 left in the third and a four-point, 46-42, advantage after three.
The fourth quarter, however, saw the Ducks turn the tide. Nyara Sabally opened the period with a personal 8-0 run as Oregon blitzed its way to 11 straight points en route to a 53-46 lead — its largest of the night.
UC Davis again had an answer as Turner scored inside and back-to-back lay-ups by Stobbart keyed a 6-0 burst to make it a one-point game, 53-52, with 4:27 to go, and the Aggies' defense made back-to-back stops on the defensive end in the Ducks' next two possessions, but could not convert the other way to take the lead.
That would be as close as the Aggies would get, as Sabally drained a three-pointer and a basket inside, scoring 13 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter alone, and Sydney Parrish drained two free throws to ice it after Turner sank her fifth three-pointer of the night with 33 seconds to play that closed the gap to four points at 61-57.
Turner added five rebounds and finished 7-of-16 from the field, tying her season high scoring output set against San Francisco in the opener and matching career high's for both field goals and three-pointers made. She was joined in double figures by junior
Sage Stobbart, who finished with 11 points and six rebounds, while junior
Kayla Konrad — who played all 40 minutes — added 10 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
Speaking of assists, Trpcic's 13 assists were just one shy of Molly Greubel's single-game record of 14 set at UC Irvine in 2014, tying Sara Lillevand (13 assists at Stanislaus State on March 10, 1990) for second on the all-time single-game list. Trpcic shared game-high honors with eight rebounds and added six points for good measure.
Erin Boley led Oregon with 17 points and eight rebounds, followed by Sabally's 15, and 12 more from Sedona Prince. Featuring six players at 6-foot-3 or taller, the Ducks narrowly out-rebounded the Aggies, 39-37, on the night.
After playing only its second non-conference contest of the year, UC Davis returns to Big West Conference play next weekend, traveling to Southern California to take on league-leading Long Beach State on Friday (Feb. 12) and Saturday (Feb. 13). Both games will tip-off at 4 p.m. from the Walter Pyramid.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Over 700 student-athletes across 25 intercollegiate athletics teams, following the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation.
Centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley, UC Davis is known nationwide as a leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, ranks annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.
