LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — A surging UC Davis women’s basketball team will look to continue its push toward the top of the Big West Conference standings when it visits struggling Long Beach State on Saturday at Walter Pyramid. The matchup pits teams at opposite ends of the league spectrum. The UC Davis Aggies (18-7) enter on a strong run, having won seven of their last nine games. They are coming off a marathon 88-80 triple-overtime victory over UC San Diego on Thursday, a game in which Avery Sussex scored 21 points and Nya Epps added 23. The Long Beach State 49ers (3-20), meanwhile, have found wins scarce. They have dropped 10 of their last 11 contests, including a 70-62 loss at Cal State Fullerton on Thursday. A key player to watch for UC Davis is guard Victoria Baker. She is coming off a season-high 19-point performance in 35 minutes during the triple-overtime thriller. Over her last five games, Baker has averaged 11.4 points, providing a consistent scoring boost for the Aggies. Long Beach State will counter with guard Khylee Pepe, who has been a bright spot in a difficult season. Pepe is averaging 14.3 points over her last six games, including an 18-point, 4-assist effort in the loss to Cal State Fullerton. She scored 16 points in the 49ers’ narrow 62-61 win over Cal State Northridge last month, one of their few victories this season. The Aggies have dominated the recent series and won the first meeting this season convincingly, 87-61, on Jan. 10 in Davis. The 49ers will need a significant defensive effort to slow down a balanced UC Davis attack that has scored 80 or more points three times in conference play. Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. PST tip-off. Following this contest, UC Davis will host Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 19, while Long Beach State travels to face UC Irvine on the same date. The two teams will meet again in the regular-season finale at UC Davis on March 5.