DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis (1-0) used a huge third period to pull away from Jessup (0-1) in an 82-42 nonconference victory in the season opener for both teams Monday at the University Credit Union Center. Tegan Young scored eight of her game-high and UC Davis career-high-tying 17 points in a decisive 27-7 third period that quickly turned a nine-point Aggie advantage at the break into a rout.
"We struggled a little bit to put the ball in the basket early," head coach Jennifer Gross said. "I think something that Tegan does consistently is find a way to give us a spark. She had a key offensive putback and a couple of buckets early in the second half and that gave us some energy. Basketball is a game of momentum and one play can bring the momentum back to your side. She does that for us."
"Our halftime speech was 'It's not good enough,'" Young said. "I tried to raise the level of intensity and set the tone for the team. We came out really strong [in the third period] and that carried us through the second half. As a senior captain leading the team by example is going to be huge all season. Taking that on and trying to do the best I can along with Avery [Sussex] as captains, and we're rying to get these young players to come along under our wings and level up."
Freshmen Rebecca Donnelly and Marta Forsline were also in double figures with 16 and 11 points in their first games at UC Davis with Donnelly making 5-of-6 shots including all four of her three-point attempts and Forsline adding eight rebounds. All nine Aggies that played scored with eight of the nine making at least one three-pointer as the Aggies were 13-of-29 (44.8%) behind the arc for the game.
"We're definitely a team where all 14 of our players can shoot it," Gross said. "We were trying to focus on our ball movement, playing selfless basketball and creating for each other. We saw more of that in the second half, which I was pleased with. This is a fun team where somebody different can step up every night."
"Everyone on this team can score," Young added. "We share the ball and have trust in each other. We know that whoever is taking the shot is going to hit. You saw that tonight. It's going to be a really exciting season with this crew."
The Aggies kept their foot on the pedal in the fourth period, scoring another 27 points on their way to a 54-23 advantage after the break. UC Davis made 54.8% (17-of-31) of its field goal attempts in the second half, including 61.5% (8-of-13) of its shots from beyond the arc.
The Aggies nearly doubled the Warriors rebound total with a 48-25 advantage on the glass. Sophie Lentfer had a career and game-high nine..
UC Davis' defense was on display throughout the contest, holding the Warriors to a 34.0% (18-of-53) shooting from the floor and just 12.5% (2-of-16) beyond the arc.
Porter Wood led Jessup with 11 points.
UC Davis begins a two-game road trip at Eastern Washington this Friday (1 p.m., ESPN+) that continues Sunday at Stanford (2 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+). The Aggies next play at home when they host their annual Field Trip Day on Nov. 11 against Cal State Fullerton (11 a.m., MW+). Last year's Field Trip Day game drew a school-record 5,567 fans that watched the Aggies defeat Idaho, 89-76.
Every UC Davis game is broadcast live on the UC Davis student radio station KDVS (90.3 FM).
GAME NOTES
- UC Davis is now 5-0 all-time against Jessup.
- UC Davis has won four straight season openers and six of its last seven.
- Five players - Anna Bassett, Rebecca Donnelly, Holly Ensoll, Marta Forsline and Angeliki Ziaka - made their UC Davis debuts with all als playing in their first collegiate contest other than Ziaka, a transfer who played previously at San Francisco (2024-25) and Davidson (2025-26)
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS
UC Davis Athletics represents one of the nation's premier public universities on the NCAA Division I stage, with more than 650 student-athletes competing across 25 sports, including 16 programs in the Mountain West Conference. Located in California's quintessential college town, UC Davis combines championship-level athletics with the academic excellence of the nation's No. 8 public research university and is home to the nation's No. 1 programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine and sustainability. With a growing national media presence, bold investments in facilities and the student-athlete experience, and a tradition of developing champions in competition, in the classroom and beyond, the Aggies are elevating UC Davis on a national stage.
