THIS WEEK...
#1/1 UConn (40-0, 18-0 in 2013-14) at UC Davis (15-16, 9-7 in 2013-14)
Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 @ 7 p.m.
The Pavilion (5,670)
Davis, Calif.
TV: ESPN3.com
RADIO: KDVS 90.3 FM
GAME COVERAGE: Watch Live (ESPN3.com) | Live Audio | Live Stats | UC Davis Notes (PDF) | UConn Notes

TIP-OFF: A whopper of a season-opener awaits the UC Davis women's basketball team on Friday night (Nov. 14), as top-ranked and nine-time defending NCAA Champion UConn pays a visit to Davis, California, to officially lift the lid on the 2014-15 campaign at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live, nation-wide, to select cable subscribers via ESPN3.com and the Watch ESPN app.

IN THE POLLS: UC Davis is unranked to begin the season... UConn is the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in the nation according to both the Associated Press or USA Today Coaches preseason polls. The Aggies will also face three other squads either ranked or receiving votes in the preseason polls this season: Stanford (Dec. 22) is ranked No. 6 in both polls, Arizona State (Dec. 13) is receiving votes in both, and Big West Conference rival CSUN is receiving votes in the USA Today poll.

BE A FOLLOWER: Fans can keep up with the latest in UC Davis Athletics by "liking" us on Facebook (facebook.com/UCDavisAggies) and following us on Twitter (@UCDavisAggies). You can also "like" the women's basketball program on Facebook by visiting facebook.com/UCDavisWomensBasketball as well as follow them on Twitter (@UCDavisWBB) and Instagram (instagram.com/ucdaviswomensbasketball). Game Day in-game updates are also available on Twitter by following us @UCDavisInGame.

LID LIFTERS: Friday's contest with UConn will mark the third-consecutive year that the Aggies will open up the season in front of the hometown faithful, looking to rebound following an, 64-55, loss to USC in 2013-14... The loss was the second straight in a season opener following a five-game winning streak dating back to 2007-08... UC Davis is 23-17 all-time in season openers dating back to the 1974-75 campaign, including a 10-6 mark at home in that span (with the locations of three games unknown)... the Aggies' last win in a season opener at home came on Nov. 11, 2007, defeating Sacramento State, 68-39, at The Pavilion... UC Davis is 8-3 in its last 11 home openers dating back to 2003-04.

SO... HOW 'BOUT THOSE AGGIES?: Losing only one player off of last season's "efficient" roster, UC Davis features an experienced lineup that lists five returning starters, 10 returning letter winners, and five newcomers, with a nice balance of upperclassmen (3 seniors, 5 juniors) and underclassmen (2 sophomores, five freshmen). Under the direction of fourth-year head coach (and former Aggie point guard) Jennifer Gross, UC Davis looks to build off a 2013-14 campaign that saw the Aggies finish 15-16 overall and 9-7 in Big West Conference play, advancing to the league tournament quarterfinals thanks to a late-season run that saw them win four of their final five regular season contests. Sydnee Fipps (17.7 ppg), Alyson Doherty (13.1 ppg), and Kelsey Harris (10.7 ppg), all averaged double figures in scoring for the Aggies, while Doherty (6.3 rpg) and Celia Marfone (6.1 rpg) ranked among the top 10 in rebounding in the Big West Conference.

THEY'RE THE BEST... AROUND: Friday marks the third consecutive season that the Aggies will face off against the number one team in the land, and the fourth straight year that they will meet a top-five opponent. The last No. 1 team to visit The Pavilion was then top-ranked Stanford on Nov. 30, 2012, falling to the Cardinal by the count of 87-38. Since moving to the Division I level in 2007-08, UC Davis has faced 12 teams ranked in the top 25 at the time of the game, including a No. 2-ranked Stanford squad in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, but have yet to post a victory.

UC DAVIS VERSUS THE TOP 25 (Division I only)
Dec. 2, 2007 - at #6 Stanford (L, 62-41)
Dec. 9, 2007 - at #18 Arizona State (L, 77-56)
Dec. 3, 2008 - vs. #25 Arizona State (L, 73-59)
Dec. 17, 2008 - at #22 South Dakota State (L, 59-47)
Dec. 28, 2008 - at #11 Stanford (L, 84-49)
Nov. 22, 2009 - vs. #2 Stanford (L, 76-51)
March 19, 2010 - at #2 Stanford (L, 86-59... NCAA First Round)
Nov. 21, 2010 - at #15 UCLA (L, 65-49)
Nov. 30, 2011 - at #5 Stanford (L, 93-44)
Nov. 30, 2012 - vs. #1 Stanford (L, 87-38)
Nov. 17, 2013 - at #2 Stanford (L, 66-48)
Dec. 5, 2013 - at #1 Connecticut (L, 97-37)

ABOUT THE HUSKIES: Led by preseason Associated Press All-American's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Breanna Stewart, UConn returns eight letter winners and three starters off of last season's team that finished a perfect 40-0 and clinched the program's ninth NCAA National Championhip... Stewart averaged 19.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game last season -- both team high's -- reaching double-figures in 38 of the team's 40 contests en route to numerous national player of the year awards... Mosqueda-Lewis finished in double figures in 19 games during an injury-shortened junior campaign, averaging 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 28 contests overall... The Huskies outscored opponents by an average of 34.2 ppg last season, averaging 82.1 ppg as a team while allowing just 47.8 ppg to their foes... Head Coach Geno Auriemma is a combined 879-133 in his 30th season as head coach of the UConn program.

SERIES NOTES: UC Davis and UConn have met only one other time, with the Huskies posting a 97-37 win at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, last season. Friday night will mark the Huskies' first-ever trip to Davis, Calif.

CONFERENCE CALL: This will be only the second meeting between the Aggies and a member of the American Athletic Conference, the first being the inaugural meeting between UC Davis and UConn in Hartford, Connecticut, last season.

"CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?": Thanks to a partnership with Arizona-based Stretch Internet, live Internet audio will be available for all of the Aggies' contests at the Big West Conference Tournament, as well as broadcast locally on KDVS 90.3 FM with Greg Wong and Brian Fuller on the call. Visit the women's basketball schedule page at UCDavisAggies.com to access the links.

"YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE...": Bringing together live and on-demand video from each of the Big West Conference's nine member institutions, BigWest.TV covers Big West sports, press conferences, interviews, and features, including every home and conference contest. Now in its 11th year, BigWest.TV will again air all of the Aggies home and conference clashes FOR FREE during the 2014-15 campaign. Log on to www.bigwest.org/thisweek for weekly schedules or visit the women's basketball schedule page at UCDavisAggies.com.

I NEED STATS, STAT!: Barring technical difficulties, new-look live stats for all UC Davis home games, as well as selected road contests, are available on your computer and mobile device courtesy the StatBroadcast platform. Visit the men's soccer schedule page at UCDavisAggies.com or the StatBroadcast landing page at UCDavisLiveStats.com to access the links when the games begin.

AGGIES PICKED FOURTH IN COMPETITIVE BIG WEST RACE: UC Davis was picked to finish fourth in the race for the Big West Conference crown this season -- one spot higher than where the Aggies finished a season ago, and two spots better than where they were picked at the start of the 2013-14 season. UC Davis received 83 points to place behind defending regular season and tournament champion CSUN (13 first-place votes, 125 points), Hawai'i (1 first-place vote, 101 points), and Cal Poly (99 points), while finishing 10 points ahead of fifth-place Long Beach State. Cal State Fullerton (53), UC Irvine (41), UC Riverside (29), and UC Santa Barbara (26), round out the preseason prognostications.

SNAPSHOT - SONOMA STATE
UC DAVIS 85, SONOMA STATE 57: Junior Celia Marfone finished with a game-high 17 points on 7-of-9 from the floor, leading three other teammates in double figures, while the hosts shot a blistering 59 percent in the second half, lifting the Aggies to an 85-57 exhibition win over Sonoma State. Kelsey Harris (13), Sydnee Fipps (12), and Pele Gianotti (12) added double-figure scoring, while Fipps led all players with six rebounds. UC Davis shot as high as 77 percent in the second half, hitting 10 of its first 13 attempts to break open what was a four-point game at the half. A 12-4 burst gave the Aggies a 17-point advantage and they never looked back, closing the game on an 11-0 run for the final margin.

SUCH AN EXHIBITIONIST: The streak marches on. With its win last Friday night over Sonoma State, UC Davis has now won its last 10 consecutive exhibition contests dating back to a, 43-41, loss to the Seawolves on Nov. 6, 2006. Since that loss, the Aggies have posted wins over the Melbourne Roos, Concordia (Ore.), Humboldt State (four times), Sonoma State (twice), Australian Showcase, San Francisco State, and Redlands.

SO MUCH FOR FIRST GAME JITTERS: Bright lights. New uniforms. No big deal for the five UC Davis freshman, who all played significant minutes off the bench in the Aggies' exhibition win. As a group, the quintet of Rachel Nagel, Lauren Seyranian, Pele Gianotti, Dani Nafekh, and Morgan Bertsch, combined to shoot 9-of-18 (.500) from the field, 3-of-6 (.500) from beyond the arc, and 7-of-9 (.778) from the line, contributing 28 of the team's 37 points off the bench against the Seawolves and grabbing nine rebounds.

FIPPS... FOR FREE!: Although it probably wasn't one of her best shooting nights from the floor, Fipps made Sonoma State pay dearly when they sent her to the line, hitting a perfect 8-for-8 against the Seawolves in the win. She's picking up right where she left off last season, when she ranked No. 5 in the Big West by shooting 81 percent from the free throw line -- the second straight season that the senior has shot better than 80 percent from the foul line.

LET ME HELP YOU WITH THAT: With the holiday seasn rapidly approaching, the Aggies were in a giving mood during their exhibition against Sonoma State, handing out 21 assists on 29 made baskets in the 28-point victory. The 21 assists last Friday night would have ranked tied for the second-highest total in all of last season, matching the output against San Jose State on Nov. 26, 2013, and falling just one shy of the season-high 22 assists handed out at UC Irvine on Feb. 8, 2014. Only one other time did the Aggies reach 20 assists last season, collecting 20 in their Big West Tournament quarterfinal match-up with the Anteaters on March 12, 2014, in Long Beach.

TOURNEY-TESTED SCHEDULE: The Aggies are scheduled to face nine teams that saw some sort of postseason action in 2013-14, four of those teams in the NCAA Tournament and five more that made the WNIT field. Connecticut (National Champions), Stanford ("Final Four"), Arizona State (2nd Round), and CSUN (1st Round), all made the NCAA bracket, Southern Utah and Saint Mary's advanced to the second round of the WNIT, while league rivals Cal Poly and Hawai'i joined Pacific as WNIT selections.

HOME, SWEET HOME: Last season, it was rare to see the Aggies play at home before Christmas, with eight of the team's first 11 regular season contests played on opposing courts. This season's schedule should please the hometown faithful as UC Davis will play six of its first seven games (including Friday's exhibition) on its home court, with the lone exception being a short 20-mile jaunt across the Causeway to take on rival Sacramento State on Nov. 18.

DECADE OF DOMINANCE AT THE PAVILION: The Aggies have defended the home court well over the last 11 seasons, winning nearly two-third of their contests at The Pavilion to the tune of a combined 94-53 (.639) record dating back to 2003-04. In that span, UC Davis has suffered a losing home record only twice in 2008-09 (5-8) and 2012-13 (5-9) while posting double-digit win totals four times, including a high of 12 victories against only three defeats in the 2010-11 campaign.

HONORS ROLL IN FOR FIPPS: As if a second All-Big West First Team selection wasn't enough for the senior, Fipps has already garnered a host of other preseason awards from various outlets. One of six named to the All-Big West Preseason Team by a vote of media members covering the league, the Mariposa, California, native also earned preseason all-conference first-team honors (one of 10 selected) according to College Sports Madness, as well as All-Mid Major Second Team laurels by the same organization -- one of only two Big West players (CSUN guard Ashlee Guay the other) to be so honored.

DON'T FORGET DOHERTY: Junior Alyson Doherty also earned a nod on the College Sports Madness preseason All-Big West First Team alongside her teammate Sydnee Fipps, joining CSUN's Ashlee Guay, Cal Poly's Ariana Elegado, and UC Riverside's Brittany Crain.

SO, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR AN ENCORE?: Someone better get a hand in the face of senior Kelsey Harris this season or who knows what she'll accomplish. The Brea, California, native set a UC Davis single-season record with 86 makes from beyond the three-point arc, breaking the record previously held by Karen Boisvert (81) that had stood since the 1990-91 season. Harris, who ranked among the Big West's best in three-point percentage (5th, .396) and three-pointers made per game (2nd, 2.77 per game), also took the second-most three-point attempts in a season (217) and is tied for sixth on the school single-season list in three-point percentage.

BY THE NUMBERS: With all but one letter winner returning for the 2014-15 season, it is almost an embarassment of riches statistically for the Aggies, who bring back 94 percent of their scoring (1,960 points), 93 percent of their rebounds (1,047), 94 percent of their assists (429), 95 percent of their steals (183), and 94 percent of their blocks (67). What does that all mean? We don't know, but numbers are fun.

"HELLO, MY NAME IS...": Name tags may be required for the first few games as fans get to know the five new faces on the UC Davis roster: Morgan Bertsch, Pele Gianotti, Dani Nafekh, Rachel Nagel, and Lauren Seyranian. The five true freshmen on this year's roster are the most for the Aggies since the 2012-13 season when that season's rookie class featured Heidi Johnson, Aniya Baker, Celia Marfone, Molly Greubel, and Alyson Doherty.

#WINNING: UC Davis' 15 wins overall and nine Big West Conference victories eclipsed the Aggies win totals in both categories from all of last season and are the most since they finished 17-13 overall and 9-7 in the Big West during the 2011-12 campaign.

THIS CLOSE: A couple of balls bounce the other way for the Aggies and the 2013-14 season could look a lot different. Of UC Davis' seven conference losses, five of those came by nine points or fewer -- a total of 52 points -- while nine of their 16 losses overall were by single digits.

SHE'S JUST ALY FROM THE BLOCK: Junior Alyson Doherty finished with 35 blocks last season -- ranking in a tie for seventh with Paige Mintun (2009-10) on the single-season list -- and enters her third season looking to move up the career charts as well. Doherty's 62 career blocks rank ninth on the career list, just two back of Kari Sivesind (64 from 1992-96) and three behind Lauren Juric (65 from 2008-12) for seventh all-time.

RECORDS ABOUND: Aside from Kelsey Harris' record-setting performance from beyond the arc, the Aggies were also busy in other categories. Junior guard Molly Greubel set a school single-game record with a career-high 14 assists on Feb. 8 at UC Irvine, breaking the previous mark of 13 by Sara Lillevand at Cal State Stanislaus on March 10, 1990. As a team, UC Davis set a school single-game record with 39 three-point attempts on Nov. 29 against San Francisco, eclipsing the previous record of 36 set against Stanford on Dec. 28, 2008. Sydnee Fipps also added her name to the record books, sinking a single-game record 17 free throws at Pacific on Nov. 11, breaking Jackie Turpin's mark of 15 against Cal Poly on Feb. 9, 2006.