DAVIS, Calif. -- Junior center Noelle Wijnbelt drew a five-meter foul then converted the ensuing penalty shot at the 1:57 mark of the first sudden-victory period, lifting No. 11 UC Davis to a 10-9 win over No. 16 Long Beach State in Big West Conference women's water polo action at Schaal Aquatics Center Friday night.

The Aggies improve to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in Big West Conference games. The Beach slips to 0-3 for the year and 0-2 in conference play.

Wijnbelt's game-winner completed a hat trick, matching junior teammate Alyssa Lengtat for the UC Davis scoring lead. Allyson Clague, Devin Holcomb, Sam Vitt and Ryan Sund each added a tally for the Aggies, while goalkeeper Sophia Noble posted 10 saves with a steal and an assist. Noble also stopped a five-meter penalty shot early in the third quarter, an attempt that would otherwise have given the Beach its only lead.

For LBSU, junior Lena Kotanchyan and freshman Anne De Kleer each posted hat tricks. Freshman goalkeeper Inbar Geva, a member of Israel's National Team, logged 15 saves against the 10 goals.

UC Davis never trailed in the contest but saw two-goal leads diminish to ties in each of the first, second and fourth quarters, while holding a 5-4 edge at halftime. Sund's goal in the opening minute gave the Aggies an 8-6 lead, only to have Mariah Walker convert a power play for the Beach, cutting the deficit to 8-7 with 2:43 left.

The Aggies continued to hold that lead with 49 ticks remaining in regulation, and opted to wind down the entire shot clock and take their chances on defense. However, Walker drew a penalty foul with two seconds left, and de Kleer stepped to the line and scored the 8-8 equalizer. With one second left, Wijnbelt fired a shot from mid-tank but it barred out, forcing the game to overtime.

Although Lengtat won the opening sprint, de Kleer regained possession with a steal, allowing Kotanchyan to fire the first attempt of overtime. Wijnbelt got a hand on the shot to keep the score tied at 8-8. An exclusion against Kotanchyan allowed Lengtat to score a power-play on a feed from Hartmann at the 1:41 mark. However, LBSU's Gabriella Matafora-Adams answered a minute later on even strength to tie the contest back up at 9-9. Both Geva and Noble came up with saves before the two teams switched sides for the remaining three minutes of OT.

Neither team managed a goal in the second overtime segment, leaving the score tied at 9-9 heading into sudden victory. As the overtime began, so did the sudden-victory period, with Lengtat beating Kotanchyan on the sprint for that critical first possession. de Kleer stole the ball back for LBSU and later fired the potential game-winner, only to have Noble stop the attempt. 

On the next trip down, Wijnbelt first drew a Beach exclusion. But before UC Davis could even begin running its 6-on-5 offense, Wijnbelt drew a five-meter foul. She hit the walk-off penalty shot with 1:57 remaining.

Friday's matchup marked the first of two meetings between the Aggies and Beach for the weekend. The two will square off in a non-conference matchup on Sunday at noon.

ABOUT UC DAVIS:
With the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, more than 700 student-athletes represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation on one of 25 intercollegiate athletics teams.

UC Davis, a national leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, is centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley; and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.

Ranked annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, 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.