Oct. 29, 2009
Complete Big West Conference release in PDF Format 
DAVIS, Calif. - The UC Davis women's basketball team, which returns nearly its entire roster, has been voted by the media to finish second in this season's Big West Conference race while also placing senior Haylee Donaghe and junior Paige Mintun on the preseason all-conference team, it was announced on Thursday.
UC Davis earned six first-place votes and 155 points, finishing a close second to two-time defending Big West Conference champion UC Santa Barbara which garnered 10 first-place votes and 162 points. Cal Poly received 146 points to finish third while UC Riverside (112) and Long Beach Sate (99) round out the top five. The Mustangs had a trio of first-place ballots while the Highlanders picked up one.
UC Davis was well-represented on the six-person preseason all-conference team, tying Long Beach State with two players. Donaghe, a 5-foot-11 wing, earned mention on the team despite playing in just seven games last year due to injury. She was a second-team All-Big West pick two seasons ago, though, after helping lead the Aggies to the Big West Tournament Championship game in only its first year in the conference.
Donaghe averaged 12.3 points and 3.7 rebounds that season while posting a team-high 85 steals. She also led the Aggie regulars by shooting 46 percent from the field. Mintun was named to this year's preseason all-conference team after being selected to the All-Big West first team last year. She enjoyed a standout season in 2008-09, leading UC Davis in scoring (13.0), rebounding (6.4), blocks (31) and total assists (69). Mintun also shot nearly 80 percent from the line.
Donaghe and Mintun were joined on the team by Karina Figueroa and Whitney Fields of Long Beach State, Jordan Franey of UCSB, and Kristina Santiago of Cal Poly.
UC Davis, which returns 11 players from last year's team that finished 11-18 overall and in fifth place during the Big West regular season, will host Humboldt State on Nov. 5 in an exhibition at 7 p.m. The regular season tips off at Seattle on Nov. 16 followed by a matchup at Pac-10 member Washington State on Nov. 18.
BIG WEST PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
(first-place votes)
1. UC Santa Barbara (10), 162 pts
2. UC DAVIS, (6), 155 pts
3. Cal Poly (3), 146 pts
4. UC Riverside (10, 112 pts
5. Long Beach State, 99 pts
6. Pacific, 87 pts
7. Cal State Fullerton, 59 pts
8. Cal State Northridge, 41 pts
9. UC Irvine, 39 pts
PRESEASON ALL-BIG WEST TEAM
Haylee Donaghe, UC DAVIS
Paige Mintun, UC DAVIS
Karina Figueroa, Long Beach State
Whitney Fields, Long Beach
Jordan Franey, UC Santa Barbara
Kristina Santiago, Cal Poly
