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Davis, California

Thursday, March 28, 2024

This week in sports

Men’s Basketball (18-4):

UC Davis @ UC Irvine (W, 75-56)

UC Davis @ CSU Northridge (W, 68-55)

After 20 games of relying on senior guard Corey Hawkins to drag the offense to wins, the Aggies proved that they could do it without their star. Hawkins sat out for the two-game road trip and UC Davis came home with two straight double-digit victories. Against UC Irvine, who had tied them for a conference lead, senior guard Tyler Les and senior forward Josh Ritchart rode hot shooting nights to 18 and 22 points respectively, missing only two of their combined 16 shots.

While their competition against CSU Northridge was closer than the score implies, the Aggies were once again able to close out a game successfully. Ritchart once again led the Aggies, this time with 21 points, while Les finished with 14. Head coach Jim Les nabbed the 200th victory of his career, a milestone he was happy to reach with this winning group.

Men’s Golf:

Amer Ari Invitational (13th place)

The Aggies opened up their spring season with a trip to Hawai’i, finishing No. 13 in a field that featured the nation’s top-ranked player and a number of high-ranked teams. As a team, UC Davis saw scores get worse over each of the three days, falling from No. 10 to No. 13 on the final day.

Junior Luke Vivolo was spectacular, finishing eighth overall individually. He shot three-under for the first two days before finishing with a five-under 67 on the final day. No other Aggie finished in the top 40 individually.

Indoor Track and Field

New Mexico Classic

The Aggies traveled to New Mexico and made an immediate impact, setting a school record and personal bests along the way. Senior Ashley Marshall was remarkable, setting the school record for the 200-meter dash on the first day. She also broke the school record in the 60-meter the next day, falling just short.

Senior Cekarri Smith set career highs in the 200- and 60-meter, moving into the top five all-time at UC Davis. Several other Aggies were able to set personal bests. The Aggies will compete several times over the next month.

Women’s Basketball (11-10):

UC Davis vs. CSU Northridge (W, 73-67)

UC Davis vs. UC Irvine (W, 79-69)

Two victories from the two home games as the Aggies defeated consecutive Big West foes. UC Davis beat the CSUN Matadors thanks to hot shooting from beyond the arc by senior forward Sydnee Fipps. The forward finished just one three-pointer shy of the school record. Senior Kelsey Harris added 15 points and six rebounds.

An unlikely hero ruled the day against UC Irvine as freshman guard Rachel Nagel scored a career and game-high 15 points. She was one of five Aggies in double figures for points, allowing the team to finish their homestand over .500.  UC Davis will play at home on Feb. 19 after a quick trip to CSU Fullerton.

Gymnastics:

UC Davis vs. George Washington (2nd, 194.250)

After four straight meets away from home, the Aggies returned to UC Davis to face off against George Washington. Several Aggies finished strongly, including sophomore Katy Nogaki, who tied a school record with 9.900 on the vault. UC Davis shared the lead in three of the events, but did not place in the top three in the all-around.

The Aggies will once again compete on campus on Friday, against Seattle Pacific, and will see three of their next five matches at home.

Softball (1-4):

UNLV Sportco Kick-off Classic (1-4)

In the first tournament of the season, the Aggies fell to four out of five opponents. UC Davis started the first inning of the year off poorly, allowing Louisville to score four runs before adding two more in the fourth inning. The team fell 4-6. Against UNLV, the Aggies flipped the script and held their opponents to one run in the first three innings before allowing 11 in the last three. The first day of the tournament ended with two losses.

The second day was similarly disheartening as the Aggies dropped two straight. The team was shut-out against Washington, nabbing only three hits. Against Minnesota, the defense once again struggled and allowed 15 runs, including seven in one inning.

The team got their lone win of the weekend against CSU Bakersfield despite being outhit three to 10. The game was tied at two apiece before the Aggies were able to drive in three runs in the final inning. The team will now move on to the Fresno State Kick-Off on Friday.

Women’s Water Polo (4-6):

Triton Invitational (2-2)

UC Davis women’s water polo headed down to San Diego to face three top-15 teams. On the first day, the team played No. 11 CSU Northridge, falling in a close 8-10 game. Sophomore Bryn Lutz led the team with three goals. Against No. 9 Loyola Marymount, the Aggies scored a dominant victory after holding their opponent to just one goal that came in the first quarter.

The second day of the tournament saw similar ups and down as the Aggies finished 1-1. UC Davis fell by one goal to No. 14 Michigan, scoring no goals in the last quarter. Perhaps as vengeance, UC Davis defeated their only unranked opponent, Santa Clara University, by double digits. Two Aggies had hat-tricks while only two Broncos players scored.

The Aggies return home for the Davis Challenge that will take place on Friday and Saturday.

Graphic by CA Aggie Graphic Team

 

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