LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Junior utility Julia Hartmann scored a hat trick while attacker Emily Aikema added a goal and three assists, but 10th-ranked UC Davis could not completely erase an early 5-1 hole, falling to No. 15 Long Beach State in the quarterfinal round of the Big West Conference women's water polo tournament at UC San Diego's Canyonview Aquatic Center Friday.

The Aggies, seeded fourth in the five-team bracket, finish their season at 12-7.

Allyson Clague, Noelle Wijnbelt and Grace Pelkey also scored one goal each for UC Davis, with goalkeeper Sophia Noble providing nine saves and three steals on defense. Sophomore utility Sarah Barker led the Beach with three goals, while Mariah Walker netted back-to-back scores as part of her team's 5-1 lead by the midpoint of the second quarter.

Aikema and Hartmann each buried goals to pull the Aggies to within a 5-3 deficit, before Elena Kotanchyan reinforced the LBSU lead to 6-3 at halftime. Clague's power-play conversion the 5:23 mark in the third followed by Wijnbelt's goal 45 seconds later brought UC Davis to trailing by just 7-6, while a successful 5-on-6 stop on the other side kept the Beach lead at that single goal for the remainder of the third.

However, Barker finished a 6-on-5 chance for her hat trick goal with less than five minutes to go in the fourth, then Anne de Kleer hit a five-meter penalty shot to restore the LBSU lead to 9-6. Beach goalie Inbar Geva notched a save and a steal down the stretch, only allowing the Aikema-to-Pelkey 6-on-5 connection with 1:23 left in the contest.

Friday's game was postponed by eight hours due to complications from COVID protocol. The contest also served as a career finale for three Aggie seniors: Devin Holcomb, McKenna Martin and Kathleen Schafle, the last of whom medically retired prior to the 2021 season.

The Big West Conference Championship continues to Sunday's title game, the winner of which earns the automatic qualifier to the NCAA postseason. The All-Big West Conference selections will be announced during the subsequent week.
 

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