RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- The shooting woes continued for UC Davis on Saturday afternoon, falling to UC Riverside 50-41 to suffer its second consecutive defeat.
The Aggies (13-12, 9-6 Big West) could not muster any rhythm on the offensive end and proved to be heavily affected by the absence of their leading scorer, Evanne Turner, who was sidelined due to injury. UC Davis registered a season-low 41 points in the contest, shooting just 33.3% from the field and just 22.2% from three-point range.
Tova Sabel's double-double was the bright spot for the Aggies as the Swedish guard recorded team-highs in points (12) and rebounds (10). Mazatlan Harris enjoyed a decent performance with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting while Megan Norris totaled seven points, nine rebounds and four blocks for a decent all-around showing.
Defense kept the Aggies in the game, holding UC Riverside to just 29.3% from the floor. UC Davis forced the conference's top scorer, Jordan Webster, to shoot just 1-of-10 on the day. The Highlanders were able to use the charity stripe to their advantage, making 13 of their 14 attempts from the free throw line while the Aggies went to the line just three times in the game.
It was a memorable day for Nya Epps who received her first career start, filling in for the injured Turner.
How It Happened
UC Davis struggled out of the gate, falling behind 13-5 in what was its lowest-scoring quarter of the season. The shots just weren't falling for Davis' team as they went 0-of-7 from beyond the arc in the first 10 minutes.
The Aggies rallied for a 7-0 run to start the second quarter, sparked by a bucket from Victoria Baker off the bench, to narrow its deficit to 15-12. UC Riverside responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Aggies trailing 24-19 heading into halftime.
The hosts continued to increase its lead after halftime after another tough offensive stretch for the Aggies, building a 34-24 advantage. UC Davis went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Norris, to trim its deficit to 34-29 with 42 seconds to go in the third. However, the Aggies allowed UC Riverside countered and stretched its lead to 36-29 heading into the fourth after going just 3-of-12 in the quarter.
UC Riverside kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 46-36 advantage before UC Davis replied with a 5-0 run, finished off by Sabel's three, to shrink the deficit to 46-41 with 2:43 to go in the contest. UC Riverside responded and outscored the Aggies the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 50-41.
Game Notes
» Tova Sabel notched a double-double for the Aggies with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
» The Aggies held the Highlanders to only 29.3 percent shooting from the field.
» The Aggies shared the ball well, recording an assist on 62 percent of made baskets.
» UC Davis lost despite a 41-32 rebounding advantage.
» The UC Davis defense forced 15 turnovers.
» The Aggies were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying nine blocks as a team.
» Tova Sabel led the Aggies with 12 points.
» UC Davis got a team-high 10 rebounds from Tova Sabel.
UP NEXT
The Ags return to the University Credit Union Center on Feb. 22 to host CSUN. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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