DAVIS, Calif. — Ryann Bennett led the way with 20 points as UC Davis women’s basketball won a back-and-forth battle against Long Beach State on Thursday, Mar. 5. The Aggies secure a top four seed in next week’s Big West Tournament and look to clinch a double-bye on Saturday.

Score: UC Davis 59, Long Beach State 56

Location: Davis, Calif. (University Credit Union Center)

Records: UC Davis 22-8 (15-4), Long Beach State 5-24 (4-15)

 

OPENING TIP


Bennett’s 20 points marked the seventh time this season the sophomore has scored 20+ in a game.
Megan Norris was close behind with 15, getting there on three made threes, tying a season-high.
Nya Epps was the third and final double-digit scorer, scoring 11 to go along with five rebounds and two steals.
Avery Sussex was active on the defensive end with four steals.
Both teams battled all night long, with the game being tied eight times with six lead changes.

WHAT HEAD COACH JENNIFER GROSS HAD TO SAY

“Down the stretch I thought that Nya did a good job of getting our team’s energy right. After that, we were able to get some defensive stops, hit a couple shots, and pull it out.”

HOW IT HAPPENED 


Two minutes into the first quarter, Epps took the lid off the basket to open the scoring for both teams.
Davis was led through the middle part of the period off layups from Bennett and Norris, responding to each Beach basket to hold a 13-11 advantage.
Long Beach tied things at 13 apiece with two minutes to go, but Norris’ first three helped spark a 5-0 run to give the home team an 18-13 lead after one.
Norris carried the scoring run into the start of quarter number two, cashing on her second three and a layup to give the Aggies a 10 point lead.
A 9-0 Long Beach run tied things up at 27 late in the half, but Victoria Baker cashed in her first points of the night from beyond the arc.
With less than a second remaining, JaQuoia Jones-Brown sunk in a layup as the Ags held a 32-29 lead.
Coming back onto the court for the second half, the back-and-forth affair continued with Bennett scoring three of the first four buckets to start the third.
Despite a late three from Sussex to put her on the board, an 18 point quarter from LBSU put them up by as much as five, giving them a 47-43 lead going into the fourth.
With 7:40 to go in regulation and the road team up seven, Sussex would cut into the deficit with another triple.
A layup from Bennett one minute later tied things at 50 apiece.
As the clock ran down to under a minute left, with the Beach up 55-54, Norris hit a clutch three to snatch the lead right back.
A pair of free throws from Bennett gave her team a three point advantage, and a perfect defensive set on the final possession sent the Aggies home with a 59-56 victory.

UP NEXT: The Aggies will now prepare for the 2026 regular season finale with a home matchup against UC Irvine on Saturday, Mar. 7 at 2:00 p.m. PT. It’ll also be Senior Day for Davis, as the team will honor Epps, Norris, Baker, Helen Matthews and Ally Fitzgerald in a pregame ceremony. Both teams will have a double-bye and potential regular season championship on the line, and it’ll be available to watch on ESPN+ and listen to on 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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