Both teams dropped in Big West Conference rankings after losses to the Tritons
By Lucienne Brooker — sports@theaggie.org
Feb. 15 was a difficult day for UC Davis Aggies fans as both the men’s and women’s basketball teams lost to the UC San Diego Tritons. The men’s team snapped their three-game winning streak with the overwhelming loss, and the women’s team fought hard but extended their losing streak to two games in a row.
The women’s team dropped to fourth in the Big West Conference rankings after their narrow 63-65 loss. Despite the undesired result, the Aggies gave a strong performance. Tova Sabel, a fourth-year psychology major and guard, scored 25 points, accounting for almost half of the UC Davis points scored. She also snagged a career-high 14 rebounds.
Although Sabel was the main engine behind the Aggie offense for this game, she was assisted by Ryann Bennett, a first-year undeclared major and guard, who came off of the bench to convert a total of nine points. It was a back-and-forth game, with the teams trading narrow leads for most of the first quarter.
The Aggies were able to gain a significant lead in the second quarter but the Tritons weren’t ready to be counted out. They fought back with 22 points in the final quarter, their highest total of any quarter in the game. Down three points in the final minute, the Aggies were able to pull one back but ran out of time before they could stage a comeback.
Although the teams sit on a two-game losing streak, there is plenty for fans to be optimistic about. Their three most recent losses have been by three points or less, and there have been plenty of victories in between. Sabel’s performance has proven her to be unstoppable on offense, and the Aggie defense has shown improved performance as well.
As the women’s game wrapped up at the University Credit Union Center, the men’s teams took the court in San Diego. With the Tritons ranked first in the conference, the Aggies went into a difficult game outmatched, with the final score ending 60-85.
UC Davis kept pace with UC San Diego at first, but the Tritons quickly ran up their lead. Nils Cooper, a second-year human development major and guard, and TY Johnson, a fourth-year communications major and guard, led the team in scoring, both hitting double digits. However, it wasn’t enough for the Aggies to make a comeback against the Tritons, who secured their seventh victory.
After a long stretch of away games, the men’s team will play at home for all but one of their final games leading up to playoffs. The team will be aiming to use this home-court advantage to motivate the team and shake off the weariness of traveling and the recent loss.
Both teams are hoping to bounce back against California State University, Bakersfield on Feb. 20 and California State University, Northridge on Feb. 22 as conference tournaments continue to approach. The key for both teams is climbing their way up the rankings to secure those coveted top seeds for playoffs.
By Lucienne Brooker — sports@theaggie.org
