Dec. 21, 2006
Box Score
DAVIS, Calif. - Lafayette more than held its own over the opening 20 minutes of play, but UC Davis took control of the second half en route to a 62-45 triumph in the program's first ever meeting against the Leopards on Wednesday night at The Pavilion.
Lafayette (2-8) made three of its opening four shots, and it seemed things would be going the Leopards' way in their first game in the Golden State in over 15 years. However, a 24-3 UC Davis (5-7) spurt spanning the final seven minutes of the first half and well into the second was too much for Lafayette to overcome.
Sophomore Jessica Spicer knocked down one of her career-high four treys midway through the first half, and a 10-footer from classmate Cristin Zavocki followed, giving Lafayette its largest lead of the game, 18-8, with 9:31 remaining. The spurt punctuated a 9-for-10 shooting effort up until that point. UC Davis countered, however, and closed the half riding an 11-3 run, trimming the Leopards' lead to 28-26 at the break.
The Aggies' defense fed its offense to start the second half, as UC Davis forced seven Lafayette turnovers while scoring 13 unanswered points over the first 5:04. A baseline jumper from Spicer halted the surge, but the Aggies quickly pushed the lead back to 10, 42-32, exactly two minutes later. Lafayette sawed the deficit down to eight on the next possession, but UC Davis continued to click on both ends of the floor and held a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Lafayette shot a solid 61 percent (11-of-18), including four of the team's five threes on the game, in the opening stanza. The Leopards finished hitting at a 48 percent (19-of-40) clip overall, while the Aggies shot for 47 percent (22-of-47).
Spicer led all scorers with 16 points to go with five assists and three steals. She played all but four minutes of the game. Junior forward Vanessa Van De Venter matched a season-high eight caroms, as Lafayette dominated the boards, 32-20, marking the fourth time Lafayette has out-rebounded an opponent this season.
Four UC Davis players hit the double-digit mark, led by a career-high 13 points from Anna Harp. Heather Bates (13), Genevieve Costello (13) and Laura Thomas (11) also paced the Aggies.
Lafayette remains in California for a Friday night match-up at Pacific. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.
Game Notes:
-Sophomore guard Jessica Spicer has led Lafayette in scoring in two of the last three games. She is averaging 10.3 points a game in her six starts on the year.
-Lafayette finished the game with 29 turnovers, which UC Davis churned into 29 points.
-The Leopards shot just six total free throws on the night, while the Aggies hit 10 of their 13 attempts.
