Score: UC Davis 70, Sacramento State 67 (OT)
Location: Sacramento, Calif. (Hornet Pavilion)
Records: UC Davis 4-2, Sacramento State 5-2
The short story: A new career-high of 25 points from
Ryann Bennett led UC Davis women's basketball to a Causeway Cup victory over Sacramento State on Monday, Nov. 24.
OPENING TIP
- This win propels UC Davis to an 8-1 record over their Causeway rivals since 2016.
- Tonight's game was also the fourth time in series history that it has gone into overtime. In Causeway Cup games that go to OT, the Aggies are now 3-1.
- This was the first time this season the Aggies have gone into overtime, with the last OT game being 365 days ago when UC Davis achieved victory over Santa Clara 74-70 on Nov. 24, 2024.
- Bennett's 25 points mark the second time she's set a career-high this season, the third time she's scored 20+ in a game.
- Emmy Ersdala also set a career-best in points tonight with 11 on 5-of-7 shooting.
- Avery Sussex and Nya Epps rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Aggies with 15 and 10, respectively.
- UC Davis went to the free-throw line 21 times tonight, with 10 attempts coming in the overtime period.
- Comparatively, the team was able to keep the Hornets off the stripe throughout the night, with Sacramento State only taking 12 free throw shots, none in the second or third quarter.
WHAT HEAD COACH JENNIFER GROSS HAD TO SAY
"It was a tremendous win for our team. This game had everything you would expect in a rivalry game: big plays by both teams, and it came right down to the wire. And I was so proud of our team. I felt like every time we needed a big play, whether it was on defense or offense, somebody stepped up. We're still a young team, we're learning how to play through adversity and how to win, and I thought today we did a great job of just finding a way, and we came up with a big win for our team."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Bennett got the offense going with her first of three triples 30 seconds in.
- Layups from Sussex and Tegan Young paced the Aggie offense against the Hornets, who used a 6-2 run late in the first to take a six-point advantage, 16-10, going into the break.
- The Davis offense took over to start period two, with a trey from Sussex sparking an 11-0 run and retaking the lead halfway through the quarter.
- A pair of threes from Natalie Picton for Sac State cut the Aggie lead to one, with the road team going into the half up 23-22.
- The Hornets retook the lead to start the third with a three from Rubi Gray, being one of four treys dropped by the team in the quarter.
- But the Aggies kept pace with a balanced attack from Epps, Ersdala, and Megan Norris.
- Bennett made up her team's offense in the final two minutes of the period, scoring the final five points for the Ags and keeping them within three, 37-40, entering the fourth quarter.
- Period number four featured an offensive explosion for both teams, as the Aggies and Hornets combined for 47 points in the quarter.
- After seeing Sac State extend their lead to three early, Bennett continued to produce with a three to retake the lead and a layup to extend it.
- Another triple from Sussex forced the home team into a timeout. Coming out of the break, Bennett and Epps extended the Aggie lead to nine, the team's largest of the night.
- Despite another Sussex three, the Hornets climbed back into the game with just minutes remaining, using a 10-3 run to force Davis into a timeout.
- Out of the break, the Aggies held onto their lead with free throws from Norris and Epps.
- With half a second remaining in regulation, Picton got to the line and sank two shots for the Hornets, tying the game at 62 apiece and forcing overtime.
- Being in the bonus throughout the OT period, the Aggies went to the line 10 times, using the stripe to score six of their first eight points and take a five-point lead with 90 seconds remaining.
- A three from Gray for Sacramento State put the Hornets within one, but that would be as close as it would get, as the Davis defense held their opponent to only five points the entire overtime and helped give the team a 70-67 victory over their Causeway rivals.
UP NEXT: The Aggies stay on the road this weekend as they travel to Stockton to participate in the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off, hosted by the University of the Pacific, from Friday, Nov. 28, to Saturday, Nov. 29. The team faces off against Jacksonville State on Friday before taking on Milwaukee the next day. Both games will tip off at 1:00 p.m. PT, and both will be streamed on ESPN+ and KDVS 90.3.
