OREM, Utah—Despite a career-high 16 points from freshman Quynne Huggins, the Utah Valley University women's basketball team fell to UC Davis in a 59-55 loss Thursday afternoon in the PE Building.
 
Senior Sam Loggins recorded the squad's first double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds and joined Huggins in double-digit scoring for the Wolverines (7-8). Huggins led the Wolverines in scoring while Loggins led all players on the boards, respectively.  Rebecca MaWhinney had nine rebounds on the night, and a team-high four assists. Taylor Gordon chipped in nine points while Deijah Blanks and Mariah Seals tallied five points each. Blanks also grabbed seven boards, respectively. Karlee Norris added four points, and MaWhinney picked up three to round out the Utah Valley scoring.
 
"We got a little momentum in the third quarter. Davis is a good team, they came out aggressive and a couple shots didn't fall for us Tuesday and tonight," head coach Cathy Nixon said. "We were right there we just didn't make plays. We have got to build our confidence offensively and I'm confident in our kids to get it fixed in practice and get ourselves on track."
 
The Wolverines were off to a slow start in the first quarter, making just three buckets, a trey from Gordon, a jumper from Loggins and a layup from Norris to close the period behind UC Davis 11-7.
 
In the second quarter, an Aggie three-pointer by Pele Gianotti gave UC Davis (7-4) a 21-13 advantage, but two layups and a free throw got the Wolverines within three at 21-18 with just under two minutes left before the break. Gianotti drained another three-pointer which was countered with a Deijah Blanks free throw before the break for an Aggie lead 24-19.
 
Midway through the third quarter, Huggins sunk a big 3-pointer earn a UVU one-point lead 29-28. The trey kicked off a 10-2 run bookended by Huggins, giving the Wolverines a 36-30 advantage. UC Davis responded with a layup from Bertsch which was quickly answered by another three from Huggins. A free throw from Bertsch and a Gordon layup closed the period with a 41-33 Wolverine lead.
 
Utah Valley could not counter a 10-2 Aggie run that was capped by a Heidi Johnson layup to tie the contest at 46 with just over five minutes to play.
 
A Seals layup ended the Utah Valley scoring drought, and on the next Wolverine possession Huggins converted on a 3-point play to pull within two (55-53), with 28 seconds left. Bertsch laid it in for the Aggies before two made free throws each for the Aggies and the Wolverines, sealing the 59-55 fate.  
 
The UC Davis game marks the last non-conference matchup of the season. Next week, Utah Valley opens up WAC play at New Mexico State on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. in Las Cruces, N.M. and at UTGRV Jan. 9 also at 7 p.m. in Edinburg, Texas.