Long cold stretch dooms Aggie women in Big West basketball loss to UC Santa Barbara
Gauchos overcome 11-point first-quarter deficit to upset Aggies, 63-50
An ice-cold second quarter proved fatal for UC Davis as the Aggies suffered a 63-50 setback to UC Santa Barbara in a Big West women's basketball game Saturday afternoon before gathering of 816 at the University Credit Union Center.
The loss drops the Aggies to 6-2 in Big West play and 12-6 overall, while UCSB moves to 4-3 and 10-7.
The Aggies had defeated the Gauchos, 72-50, earlier in the season and appeared ready to repeat that performance when they jumped to a quick 16-5 lead to open the game, but the Gauchos wouldn't go away.
Playing a stiff defense and hitting from long range, Santa Barbara went on an incredible 20-0 run, holding the Aggies without a field goal for over 17 minutes, a span that included part of the first quarter, all of the second quarter and nearly half of the third quarter.
UCSB surged to a 37-22 lead and the Aggies rallied, but could come no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
"I was happy with how we fought to the end, but give Santa Barbara credit, they rushed us and pressured us and played well," said Aggie head coach Jen Gross.
"To their credit, they hit shots when they needed them and we weren't at our best. When you're trying to win a championship, every game is crucial, but we'll improve and bounce back."
First-year UCSB coach Renee Jiminez was thrilled to take a road win and keep her club above .500 in league play.
"At the start it looked like they were going to give me a first-year coach welcome to the Big West, but then we showed we belong here," said the Gaucho coach.
"I have so much respect for Jen and her players and their program. You look at the banners in here and you see how many championships they have won. This was a really great game for us."
Tova Sabel led the Aggies with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Mazatlan Harris had 10 points.
UCD will return to Big West action Thursday at Hawaii.
Reach Bob Dunning at bobdunning@thewaryone.com.
These women athletes are phenomenal every season, no matter what👏🤛
UCSB is well coached, and equally important the players executed when they had to. Their perimeter shooters were left open, and they kept hitting 3-point shots that stifled the Ag's comeback attempts. One very bright spot for UCD was first-year player Ryann Bennett, who looked sharp again. She earned lot of floor time, and she deserved every minute. She will be a team leader for years to come.