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/. 

 

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