HENDERSON, Nev. -- UC Davis will advance to the semifinal round of the Big West Conference Championships after defeating four-seed Cal Poly 56-48 on Thursday afternoon inside the Dollar Loan Center.
UC Davis (19-13, 13-7 Big West) delivered another outstanding defensive performance by holding Cal Poly to just 27.4% from the field and 23.8% from three-point range. The UC Davis defense was a problem in Thursday's game, forcing 20 Cal Poly turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 12 points on the offensive end of the floor.
The Aggies got a massive spark off the bench courtesy of Nya Epps, who dropped a career-high 15 points. The sophomore nailed two threes while going 5-for-7 from the floor, making some clutch plays down the stretch to get her team across the finish line.
Tova Sabel paced the offense with a game-high 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting, sinking three shots from deep. Evanne Turner added nine points and eight rebounds while Megan Norris chipped in with nine points of her own.
How It Happened
The two teams engaged in a defensive tussle in the early minutes of the contest. Mazatlan Harris kickstarted the scoring with a transition layup early in the first, but it remained the sole basket for an extended period. The teams struggled, combining for a 1-for-6 shooting performance and five turnovers in the opening minutes.
Sabel, however, broke the silence. A precise pass from Campbell Gray set her up for a crucial score. The Aggie defense tightened its grip, holding Cal Poly to a mere 2-of-15 from the floor and six points in the first quarter. Sabel added to her impact by sinking the team's first three-pointer, contributing five points. A subsequent jumper from Turner capped off a dominant 9-0 run, allowing UC Davis to close the first period with a 13-6 lead.
The defensive intensity persisted into the second quarter, with both teams going scoreless for two consecutive minutes. UC Davis found their rhythm as Sabel drained her second three-ball, extending the lead to 10 points. Epps, fueled by her speed, secured a steal and converted, resulting in a 7-0 scoring burst. At halftime, the Aggies boasted a commanding 28-18 advantage, a testament to Jennifer Gross' formidable defensive strategy that held the Mustangs to just 6-of-28 (21.4%) in first half action.
Sydney Burns got the scoring started in the second half when she buried a triple, and this opened the floodgates for UC Davis, as Sabel sunk her third three-pointer of the game to extend the lead to 14 points. During the run, the Aggies held Cal Poly scoreless for over five minutes in another incredible defensive stretch.
The shooting woes switched to the UC Davis side when it missed nine consecutive field goal attempts, but Epps ended the drought a big way when she knocked down back-to-back treys – including a four-point play - to make it a double-digit advantage yet again. This resulted a 41-30 UC Davis lead with 10 minutes left to play.
Epps continued her heroics in the final moments with a beautiful left-hand finish at the rim to put the Aggies up by seven with 1:38 left. Things got tight in the closing minutes when Cal Poly cut the lead to just four points with less than a minute on the clock, but UC Davis was able to see out the 56-48 win to advance to the semifinal round.
Game Notes
» The Aggies held the Mustangs to only 27.4 percent shooting from the field.
» The Aggies never trailed after taking a 13-6 first quarter lead.
» The Aggies put on a passing clinic, recording an assist on 72 percent of made field goals.
» The UC Davis defense forced 20 turnovers.
» The Aggies were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying five blocks as a team.
» Tova Sabel led the Aggies with 17 points.
» UC Davis got a team-high eight rebounds from Evanne Turner.
UP NEXT
The Ags will meet top-seeded Hawai'i tomorrow afternoon at the Dollar Loan Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m.
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