DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis recovered from a slow start to grab its fifth win in the last six games, downing UC Riverside 73-64 inside the University Credit Union Center.

UC Davis (11-11, 7-5) out-scored the Highlanders 23-12 in the fourth quarter to snatch the victory from a UC Riverside tied at the bottom of the Big West standings. Another solid defensive showing from Jennifer Gross' team held the visitors to just 36.4% from the field and 22.2% from three-point range.  

Four Aggies finished in double figures including the conference's leading scorer, Evanne Turner, pouring in a team-high 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting while netting three of her five attempts from beyond the arc. The guard also worked hard on the boards, matching a team-high seven rebounds.

Enjoying a fantastic game on her birthday was Tova Sabel who scored 16 points while going 7-of-12 from the floor. Sharpshooting Tess Sussman was extremely efficient on the offensive end with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting. The Harvard transfer was 3-of-4 from three-point land and impacted the game in a variety of different ways, notching five rebounds and three assists.

Sydney Burns provided a massive spark for her team in the second half, racking up 12 points off the bench.
 

How It Happened
UC Riverside came out firing in the early minutes, scoring on three straight possessions to gain an 8-2 lead. Turner led UC Davis' rally back into the contest by nailing two three-pointers before Megan Norris and Mazatlan Harris added layups to momentarily give the Aggies an advantage. The hosts shot just 33.3% from the floor in the first quarter and UC Riverside would take a 15-14 lead after one.

The Highlanders maintained their lead at the half as they shot nearly 50% in the first 20 minutes. Sussman and Burns paced the Aggies with four points each in the second quarter. UC Davis started to find its rhythm, however, going 5-for-11 in the period while picking up seven points from the charity stripe.

The shots from deep started to fall in the third quarter as the Aggies went 5-of-6 from three-point range. Burns caught fire with two triples and Sabel got involved with a three-ball of her own. UC Davis shot 60% in the third period, but still trailed 52-50 going into the final period.

Sussman scored five straight points to get her team off the mark in the fourth. This gave her team the lead, and the Aggies would not look back, out-scoring UC Riverside 23-12 in the last 10 minutes. Just under the four-minute mark, Turner hit a tough fadeaway jumper for a clutch 'and-one' that swung momentum in UC Davis' favor. Sabel took over for the final three minutes, scoring seven consecutive points to get her team to the finish line.
 

Game Notes
» Tova Sabel enjoyed her best offensive performance since she posted her career-high on Dec. 19.
» Four Aggies finished in double figures.
» UC Davis was 6-of-9 from three-point range in the second half.
» The Aggies out-rebounded UC Riverside 39-34.
» Megan Norris chipped in with eight points and six rebounds.
» Megan Jones made her presence felt in the paint with a game-high four blocks.
 
Up Next
UC Davis closes the weekend with 2 p.m. matchup against UC Santa Barbara inside the University Credit Union Center.