Dec. 16, 2008
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
BROOKINGS, S.D. - The UC Davis women's basketball team (4-3) begins a stretch of three straight games against 2008 postseason teams when the Aggies travel to the midwest to face No. 22 South Dakota State (10-1) on Wednesday and Creighton (2-6) on Saturday in a pair of nonconference matchups.
Tipoff for Wednesday's game is 5 p.m (PST) while Saturday's contest begins at 11:05 a.m. (PST). Both games can be heard on KDVS (90.3 FM) and at www.ucdavisaggies.com.
Like UC Davis, both South Dakota State and Creighton are coming off berths in last season's Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). The Jackrabbits and Bluejays played each other in the first round with Creighton winning to advance to the second round.
South Dakota State, in its first official NCAA Division I season, is already making a name for itself on the national landscape. The Jackrabbits, who also went to the WNIT in 2007 during their reclassification period, entered the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll this week thanks to a start which has seen them beat a trio of teams from the Big Ten Conference.
Their only loss was a 68-56 loss to current No. 16 Maryland on Nov. 26. Among their wins are victories over Missouri, Utah, Oregon and Gonzaga. South Dakota State is ranked just outside the top 25 by the Associated Press, sitting first among other teams receiving votes.
Wednesday's game, the second for UC Davis against a ranked opponent this season, is the second all-time meeting between the programs. The Jackrabbits beat the Aggies, 78-61 in early 2007 at The Pavilion.
South Dakota State is led by forward Jennifer Warkenthien whose double-double average of 11.8 points and 10.0 rebounds are both tops on the team. Guard/forward Kristin Rotert is averaging 11.4 with two other players nearing double-digit scoring. The Jackrabbits are allowing just 55.8 ppg, are outrebounding opponents by nearly five per game and have canned 80 three-pointers in their first 11 games.
Creighton enters the week with a three-game losing streak but two of those defeats have come against ranked opponents, including a 69-49 game at No. 6 Oklahoma and a close 64-55 loss at then No. 25 Kansas State. The Bluejays dropped a heartbreaking 59-58 matchup to visiting Kansas on Saturday despite getting 31 points from guard Chevelle Herring who was subsequently named the Missrouri Valley Conference Player of the Week.
Herring, averaging 19.0 points per game, leads a trio of Bluejays averaging double-figure scoring. Forward Megan Neuwirth is averaging 11.8 ppg while guard Kelsey Woodard is averaging 11.0. Neuwirth's 9.5 rebounds per game puts her close to averaging a double-double while Herring's 19 treys pace the team.
Saturday's game will be the first between the programs while UC Davis is playing in both South Dakota and Nebraska for the first time.
The Aggies are comng off a disappointing 53-45 loss at Causeway rival Sacramento State on Saturday, a game which they rallied from a 12-point deficit in the second half to take a brief 41-40 lead with 3 minutes, 29 seconds to go. However, the Hornets responded to post the home win. Post Lauren Juric has 14 points and 11 rebounds for UC Davis while adding six steals.
Junior Haylee Donaghe (12.5) and post Paige Mintun (11.6) lead an Aggie attack that is averaging 60.1 ppg and allowing just 58.0, second-best in the Big West Conference. Donaghe has also been a standout on defense, averaging 3.4 steals to rank No. 15 among all Division I players.
UC Davis will take a break following Saturday's game before traveling to face No. 3 Stanford on Dec. 28. The Cardinal advanced to last season's national championship game.
