SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- UC Davis led after the first half action but hosts UC Santa Barbara stormed back and used a big second-half performance to snatch the Big West opener 60-49 on Thursday night inside the Thunderdome.
It was the second-lowest point tally of the season for the Aggies (4-7, 0-1 Big West) on a night where the offense never settled into a rhythm, shooting just 35% from the field and 25% from three-point range in the defeat.
Despite the loss, UC Davis saw some significant contributions from the bench with Nya Epps registering 10 points in her 23 minutes while Bria Shine hit two shots from deep to finish with seven points on the night.
Tova Sabel and Evanne Turner reached double-digits with 11 and 10 points respectively, but the team's top scorers were held in check for majority of the contest. Megan Norris was solid on Thursday night, flirting with a double-double by dropping nine points and grabbing a team-high seven boards.
How It Happened
Epps provided a massive spark off the bench in the first half, pouring 10 first-half points to pace the Aggie offense. The guard went 4-of-5 from the field and knocked down two of three attempts from beyond the arc to power her team to a 29-26 lead at the break. Shine also brought some much-needed energy from the bench by hitting a pair of three-pointers and finishing with seven points in the first half.
However, the hosts would hang around and quickly use a 14-6 scoring run to take the lead in the third period. The Aggies endured a 1-for-7 stretch that allowed the Gauchos to gain some momentum inside their home gym. In all, UC Davis scored just eight points in the third quarter to match its lowest-scoring quarter of the season.
The shooting woes continued in the final frame as the Aggies went just 1-for-9 from the perimeter in the second half. UC Santa Barbara out-scored UC Davis 34-20 in the last 20 minutes to come away with the 60-49 victory.
Game Notes
» The Aggies put on a passing clinic, recording an assist on 62 percent of made baskets.
» The UC Davis bench made an impact by scoring 17 points to its scoring output.
» The UC Davis defense forced 21 turnovers.
» Tova Sabel led the Aggies with 11 points.
» UC Davis got a team-high seven rebounds from Megan Norris.
UP NEXT
The Ags will look for their first conference win on Dec. 30 when they head to San Luis Obispo to take one Cal Poly. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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