DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis was unable to find its rhythm on the offensive end on Saturday afternoon inside the University Credit Union Center, suffering a 77-64 defeat to UC Santa Barbara.

UC Davis (11-12, 7-6) went cold from beyond the arc, making just five of its 25 attempts from three-point range. The Gauchos were dominant on the glass as they out-rebounded the Aggies 38-28 with 11 of those boards coming on the offensive end. UC Santa Barbara capitalized on the extra possessions with 16 second-chance points.

Tova Sabel shined on a difficult day for the Aggies, reaching double figures for the second straight contest. The Swedish guard dropped a game-high 15 points while knocking down four shots from deep.

On a day where she was honored for scoring 1,000 career points, Evanne Turner provided 12 points for her team, but was held without a three-pointer for just the second time this season.

Victoria Baker and Makaila Sanders enjoyed solid performances off the bench with eight points apiece while Megan Norris grabbed a team-high seven rebounds while chipping in with six points.

How It Happened
The Aggies pushed the pace in the early minutes and raced out to an 8-2 advantage following a pair of three-balls from Sabel. However, UC Davis lost the shooting touch after the strong start, and went the next six minutes without a field goal. This allowed UC Santa Barbara to post a 9-0 run and take a three-point lead into the second period.

UC Davis started well in the second quarter when Turner and Baker finished off a couple tough layups inside, but the Aggies would face another tough stretch that featured four turnovers in less than three minutes. The Gauchos took advantage of the miscues and built a 13-point lead at the break. In the first half, UC Davis shot just 29.6% as a team and 2-of-13 from long range while UC Santa Barbara posted a very efficient 42.9% with 11 points coming from the free-throw line.

The visitors took full control in the third period, putting together a 20-4 scoring run to earn their largest lead of the game.

UC Davis battled in the final quarter and responded quite well to the adversity, out-scoring the Gauchos 20-10 over the last 10 minutes. Sanders got things going with six points and Nya Epps started getting involved offensively, but UCSB would hold off the comeback attempt to escape with 77-64 win.

Game Notes
» The Aggies shot just 20% from three-point range which is ties their third-worst mark of the season.
» Four Gauchos finished in double figures.
» UC Davis has won five of its last seven contests.
» UC Santa Barbara out-rebounded UC Davis 39-28.
» Nya Epps scored seven points off the bench.
» The Aggies committed just 10 turnovers and forced 17.
 
Up Next
UC Davis head back on the road for a midweek contest at CSUN on Feb. 15. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Northridge, Calif.