Aggie women rally to take thrilling triple-overtime victory from UC San Diego
88-80 win moves UC Davis to within one game of first place with six games remaining
Unless you have the time to read a 300-page novel about the longest game in the history of UC Davis women’s basketball, this report will deal solely with the three overtimes it took the Aggies to subdue league-leading UC San Diego Thursday night in a Big West battle to the death before a spellbound gathering of 548 in the University Credit Union Center.
The Aggies prevailed, 88-80, after the game was tied at 57 at the end of regulation, 65 after the first overtime and 75 after the second overtime.
Both teams had several excellent chances to put this one in the win column before sending it into the record book after 55 minutes of nail-biting action.
The win keeps the Aggies alive in the race with UCSD for the regular-season Big West title. UCD is now 11-3 in league play and 18-7 overall, while the Tritons fell to 12-2 and 17-7.
Both teams have six games remaining.
Importantly, both UCSD losses have come to the Aggies, including a 66-62 setback last month in San Diego, meaning if the two tie, UCD holds the tiebreaker advantage when it comes to seeding in the Big West tournament next month in Henderson, Nevada.
Breaking with the above promise to deal only with overtime, it should be noted that the Aggies were down 40-27 early in the third quarter and in deep trouble after shooting just 22.6 percent from the field in the first half.
But Ryann Bennett hit a 3-pointer and Avery Sussex did the same and before you could say “overtime,” UCD had tied things at 50 on yet another long-range success from Sussex, the British Columbia bomber from the charming Vancouver suburb of Coquitlam.
San Diego had the final look at the end of regulation, but the shot was blocked and the officials ordered up five more minutes of frantic action with the score knotted at 57.
The Tritons hit three quick buckets to start the extra frame with a 63-57 advantage, but again the Aggies rallied to tie the game at 63 on a trey from Nya Epps.
Two free throws from Epps gave UCD a 65-63 lead with just 4.9 seconds remaining, but Erin Cordron’s layup tied the game again with 1.5 seconds left.
This time it was the Aggies who had the chance to win it at the end, but Megan Norris’ short jumper missed at the buzzer and we were in for five more minutes of madness.
Both teams had brief leads in the second overtime that ended tied at 75.
After UCSD took a 78-75 lead to start the third overtime, Victoria Baker went on a personal 5-0 run to regain the lead for UCD.
And then came the dagger.
With things once again tied at 80, UCD had four shots on one possession, with the last being a successful 3-pointer from - you guessed it - Sussex on a feed from Norris.
The Aggies sewed things up with two free throws from Bennett and three from Epps to finally put an end to one of the most exciting games ever played in the nearly 50-year history of an arena originally known as Rec Hall.
“This was just an unbelievable win,” said Aggie head coach Jen Gross, grinning from ear to ear while stating the obvious.
“I looked up and we were down 13, but we just kept coming. What a clutch effort. I am just so proud of how we responded. I just cherish the way we play together and have a belief in ourselves. At this point in this season we are still in a battle for the championship and every game is so crucial.”
Norris, who eclipsed the Aggie single-season rebound record early in the game, finished with a stunning 29 rebounds while playing all but 57 seconds of the game. Epps led everyone on the floor with 23 points, while Sussex had 21 points while playing every second of this 55-minute marathon.
Baker had 19 points, Norris 13 and Bennett 12.
The Aggie women return to Big West action Saturday at 2 p.m. at Long Beach State, then come home Thursday, Feb. 19, for a 6 p.m. showdown with Cal State Fullerton.
In other Big West action Thursday night, Fullerton slipped past Long Beach, 70-62, UC Riverside edged UC Santa Barbara, 69-62, UC Irvine obliterated Cal Poly, 84-39, and Hawaii dropped Cal State Bakersfield, 61-54.
Reach Bob Dunning at bobdunning@thewaryone.com
Twenty-nine rebounds! Wowzers! Give Norris the Windex award for cleaning the glass!
They are having a great season. I bet they do well in the post season.