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DAVIS, Calif. \u2014 The scoring tandem of Avery Sussex<\/a> and Ryann Bennett<\/a> elevated UC Davis women’s basketball to a nine point win over UC Riverside on Saturday, Feb. 21.\u00a0<\/p>\n Score: UC Davis 65, UC Riverside 56
WHAT HEAD COACH JENNIFER GROSS HAD TO SAY<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n “I’m really proud of our team for putting us in the situation where we’re in the hunt for a double-bye in the tournament. We understand that every single day matters. We’re a team that’s still trying to get better, we haven’t played our best basketball yet. So we’re just focused on improving every day and continuing to build so that when we face another opponent we’re trying to put the best version of ourselves on the court.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n \nHOW IT HAPPENED\u00a0<\/p>\n
UP NEXT: UC Davis hits the road for the final time this season when the team makes their annual trip out to Hawai’i on Thursday, Feb. 26. Tipoff for the game against the Rainbow Wahine is set for 9:00 p.m. PT and will be available to watch on ESPN+ and listen to on KDVS 90.3.<\/p>\n ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:\u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u201327.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nLocation: Davis, Calif. (University Credit Union Center)
\nRecords: UC Davis 21-7 (14-3), UC Riverside 9-18 (7-10)
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\nOPENING TIP
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\n\tWith UC Irvine’s win over UC San Diego today, the Aggies now control their destiny towards a double-bye in the Big West Tournament and a potential regular season championship.
\n\tSussex’s 20 points mark the sixth time this season the sophomore has gone for 20 or more in a game. She also grabbed eight rebounds.
\n\tBennett was close behind with 19, staying effective at the free throw line with seven-of-nine (78%) shooting.
\n\tMegan Norris<\/a> had another big day on the boards with 16 rebounds. She now sits just six rebounds away from breaking the Aggies all-time career record.
\n\tOverall, Davis was active on the boards on both ends of the court, with 15 of the 46 rebounds being offensive boards.\u00a0
\n\tThe Aggie defense held the Highlanders in check from beyond the arc, with the road team going 5-for-25 (20%) from three.
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\n\tAfter seeing the Highlanders get on the board on the first possession, Tegan Young<\/a> splashed from downtown to open the Aggie scoring.
\n\tAnother three by Sussex was followed by layups from Nya Epps<\/a> and Young, pushing the home teams lead to as much as seven halfway through the first period.
\n\tEmmy Ersdala<\/a> would get in the scoring column with her first free throw of the day, but Riverside ended the quarter on a 6-1 run to give Davis a 13-11 lead after ten minutes of action.
\n\tThrees continued to rain in the second quarter with Bennett and Sussex giving the Aggies an 8-0 run two minutes in.
\n\tBut the Highlander defense held the home team in check, with another Epps layup and a pair of free throws from Victoria Baker<\/a> making up the rest of the scoring in the half.
\n\tA last second three from Riverside’s Hannah Wickstrom tied things at 25 apiece heading into the locker room.
\n\tComing back onto the floor for the second half, UC Davis responded with another scoring run, 10-0, that featured threes from Epps and Bennett.
\n\tThe Highlanders looked to snatch momentum, getting as close as six, but an 11 point quarter from Bennett was capped off by four straight points to maintain a 43-36 lead after three.
\n\tBoth teams battled back and forth to open the fourth quarter, with Riverside using three straight buckets from Wickstrom to get within three.
\n\tBut the triples went back-to-back-to-back for the Aggies, with Sussex cashing in the first two and Norris getting the third to build the lead back up to double-digits.
\n\tUC Riverside looked to steal quick points in the final minute, but two pairs of free throws from Davis would fend off the Highlander momentum and secure a 65-56 win for the Aggies.
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