Score: UC Davis 81, Cal State Bakersfield 37
Location: Davis, Calif. (University Credit Union Center)
Records: UC Davis 9-4 (3-0), Cal State Bakersfield 0-13 (0-3)
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The short story: 21 points from
Tova Sabel led all scorers as the UC Davis women's basketball team resumed conference play with a 44-point victory over the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners.
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OPENING TIPÂ
- Tova Sabel led all scorers with 21 points, passing 1,000 total in her UC Davis career.
- Victoria Baker (12), and Mazatlan Harris (10) also hit double-digit points.
- The Aggie defense was suffocating once again, with no Roadrunners scoring more than nine points.
- The Aggies also continued to shoot the ball well from beyond the arc, connecting on 42% (13-31) from three.
- All 12 active players on the Aggie roster played quality minutes for the second straight game.
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WHAT HEAD COACH JENNIFER GROSS HAD TO SAY
"We knew coming in that in every conference game, you really have to work for it. We thought that our team brought the right mentality from the start and I was pleased with our defensive energy. It was something we talked about at the start of the game and I think everyone that came into the game had a great mindset and brought a lot of that energy to the court."
HOW IT HAPPENEDÂ
- The Aggies came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, picking up threes from Mazatlan Harris and Megan Norris to take a 12-2 lead into the game's first media timeout.
- On the other side of the break, Davis continued to apply pressure, using a block from Tova Sabel along with layups from Nya Epps and Victoria Baker to take a big 22-4 lead at the end of the first.
- In the second quarter, the Roadrunners offense began to pick up, cashing in on two early triples.
- However, the Aggies offense refused to slow down, seeing threes from Sabel and Avery Sussex that gave their team a 35-12 advantage halfway through the period.
- Despite four quick points of a timeout from Bakersfield, UC Davis continued to pile on, building themselves a 30-point lead going into the locker room, 47-17.
- The third period saw the most momentum go the way of the Roadrunners, who strung together a 9-0 run halfway through the period off turnovers from their opponent.
- But the Aggies refused to give up momentum, using baskets from Sussex and Ally Fitzgerald to take a 67-30 lead going into the final frame.
- The start of the fourth was defensive-heavy, with only one basket scored in the quarter's first three minutes.
- However, the Aggie offense picked up significantly, scoring 11 of the contest's final 18 points with points from Ryann Bennett, Clara Glad, and Bria Shine, ultimately giving them the 81-37 victory.
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UP NEXT: The team will remain at home to wrap up the weekend as they welcome the CSUN Matadors into town on Saturday, Jan. 4. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. PT and Aggie fans can watch the contest live on ESPN+.
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