LONG BEACH, Calif. — 26 points from
Ryann Bennett led the way for UC Davis women's basketball in a 77-66 victory over Long Beach State on Saturday, Feb. 14
Score: UC Davis 77, Long Beach State 66
Location: Long Beach, Calif. (LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid)
Records: UC Davis 19-7 (12-3), Long Beach State 3-21 (2-12)
OPENING TIP
- Bennett, the Long Beach native, delivered a solid homecoming by tying a career-high 26 points for the second time this season.
- She also set a career-high with six made threes on the afternoon.
- Megan Norris delivered another solid performance with 16 points and 14 rebounds, her 17th double-double of the year and second straight game with that mark.
- Tegan Young rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13, her sixth game this season with 10 or more points.
- Avery Sussex was the lead distributor with five assists. Victoria Baker and Nya Epps were close behind with four assists each.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Three minutes into the contest, Epps got things going with a driving layup before back-to-back threes from Bennett and Young helped push the Aggies to a 10-6 lead.
- The Beach were not deterred by the Davis offense, responding to a late Bennett three to give them a 17-15 advantage after one.
- Both teams continued the scoring output into the second quarter, where a three from Long Beach was followed by scores from Norris and Young to tie it up once again at 20 apiece.
- Young would continue to capitalize with two more baskets before a three from Epps elevated her team to a six point lead.
- But the Beach would not go down easily, ending the first half on a 12-2 run to enter the locker room up 35-31.
- Entering the third quarter, the Aggie defense came to life, holding the Beach to nine points, while the offense was lights out with five made threes.
- Bennett knocked down the first triple of the period to put it within one possession before Sussex's first make tied it once again at 39.
- That three pointer was the catalyst for a 15-0 run, capped off by the first make for Carrington Davis to put the Aggies up 49-39.
- Long Beach looked to respond with a pair of field goals, but the fifth three from Bennett gave her team a 55-44 advantage entering the final period.
- Baker opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back makes.
- The home team would look to take back momentum on a pair of jumpers, but a 7-0 run from Bennett would put her at 26 and her team up 16, 71-55.
- In the final seconds, Long Beach would get as close as nine on free throws, but UC Davis would hold on to claim a 77-66 victory.
UP NEXT: With three weeks remaining in the regular season, UC Davis will play four of its last five games within the confines of the University Credit Union Center, beginning with a matchup against Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Feb. 19. It'll be the Aggies annual Play4Kay game in support of breast cancer awareness. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT and will live stream on ESPN+ and KDVS 90.3.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:
UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
For more information, visit
https://ucdavisaggies.com/.
