NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -- UC Davis turned in an excellent defensive performance to grab its third straight victory and improve to 3-2 in Big West play, taking down CSUN 55-45 Thursday night inside the Premier American Credit Union Arena.
The Aggies (7-8, 3-2 Big West) held the Matadors to just 24.3% (17-of-70) from the field which marks their best defensive showing of the year. Head Coach Jennifer Gross' drew up a well-orchestrated plan to keep CSUN off the perimeter as the hosts went just 2-of-15 from beyond the arc.
Evanne Turner matched the game-high with 15 points on the night and did it quite efficiently, going 6-of-12 from the floor with three triples. The senior grabbed six boards and made some big plays on the defensive side of the ball down the stretch.
Tova Sabel tacked on 15 points to make it eight straight games in double figures for the Swedish guard. Megan Norris chipped in with 11 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in a solid all-around display from the Menlo Park native.
UC Davis took advantage of great ball movement in Thursday's game, piling up 15 assists on 19 made field goals. Individually, Sydney Burns led the way for the Aggies with five assists.
How It Happened
UC Davis broke things open in the early minutes by rallying for an 11-0 run with 7:29 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Turner, to take a 14-3 lead. The Aggies lost some momentum late in the period, but still entered the quarter break with an 18-13 advantage. UC Davis relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down four shots to account for 12 of its 18 points.
The Aggies maintained their lead in the game's second frame and entered halftime with a 29-25 edge. UC Davis dominated in the paint, scoring eight of its 11 points close to the basket.
UC Davis continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Sabel, to expand its lead further to 37-28 with 8:03 to go in the third. Before the third period was over, the Aggies added one point to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 47-37 edge.
The suffocating Aggie defense changed the game in the second half, forcing the Matadors into a 1-for-25 stretch that allowed UC Davis to take a sizable lead into the game's dying minutes.
UC Davis kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Sabel's layup, to extend the lead to 52-41 with 2:34 to go in the contest. The Matadors narrowed the margin in the fourth, but the Aggies cruised the rest of the way for the 55-45 win
Game Notes
» The Aggies held the Matadors to only 24.3 percent shooting from the field.
» The Aggies never trailed after taking an 18-13 first quarter lead.
» The Aggies put on a passing clinic, recording an assist on 79 percent of made field goals.
» UC Davis had a stellar day defensively, holding CSU Northridge to 13 percent from three point land on 15 attempts.
» The Aggies were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying nine blocks as a team.
» Evanne Turner and Tova Sabel led the Aggies with a game-high 15 points apiece.
» UC Davis got a team-high eight rebounds from Mazatlan Harris.
UP NEXT
The Ags go for four consecutive victories on Jan. 13 at Cal State Bakersfield. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Stay in the loop with everything related to UC Davis women's basketball by following the Aggies on all of their social media platforms.
Instagram | X | Facebook
