THIS WEEK...
Menlo College (11-3) at UC Davis (4-7)
Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015
4:30 p.m.
The Pavilion (5,670)
Davis, Calif.
RADIO: KDVS 90.3 FM
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio | Video | UC Davis notes | Menlo notes

TIP-OFF: The UC Davis women's basketball team (4-7 overall) closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule this weekend, welcoming Menlo College to The Pavilion on Saturday (Jan. 3) at 4:30 p.m. to ring in the New Year. The contest is the first of a doubleheader with the men's team, which hosts Cal Maritime.

IN THE POLLS: Entering this week's contests, UC Davis is unranked in the national polls. Menlo is ranked No. 14 in the nation according to the NAIA Division II Coaches' Top 25 poll released on Dec. 9.

"HI, MOM!": For those unable to make the trip to Southern California for the Aggies' Big West Conference opener at CSUN, the game will be streamed live over the Internet courtesy ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. A direct link to the broadcast will be posted on the women's basketball schedule page as soon as it is available.

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.

"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 this season, 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!: 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 women's basketball schedule page at UCDavisAggies.com or the StatBroadcast landing page at UCDavisLiveStats.com to access the links when the games begin.

ABOUT THE OAKS: Menlo College enters Saturday game with an 11-3 overall record, having won three straight following a four-point loss to 13th-ranked Siena Heights University on Dec. 20... The Oaks won the Peninsula Classic in Atherton, California, with wins over Midland University (78-73) and Warner Pacific (72-58) in their last outing... Senior forward Laurel Donnenwirth is averaging a double-double, leading the team in scoring at 15.2 ppg and rebounding at 10.9 rpg, while shooting just under 50 percent from the field... Senior guard Jolise Limcaco and sophomore guard Aaliyah Sowards are also in double figures at 14.1 ppg and 11.1 ppg, respectively... Menlo is averaging 74.5 ppg and shooting 43 percent from the field as a team.

SERIES NOTES: The Aggies and the Oaks have met only one other time, with UC Davis posting a 72-46 victory at home back on Dec. 4, 2004. The Aggies are a combined 2-0 against the Cal Pac Conference following a 78-46 win over Simpson University at home on Jan. 2 of last year.

GREUBEL LOST FOR THE SEASON: The Aggies' active roster has been reduced by one, when it was determined that junior guard Molly Greubel has been lost for the rest of the 2014-15 season due a wrist injury. Greubel, who led the Big West Conference in free throw percentage (.871) and ranked 10th in assists (3.35 apg) last season, started the Aggies' first three games this year, averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game while racking up eight total assists and a pair of steals in just over 23 minutes per contest.

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET: Entering Saturday's contest against Menlo College, the Aggies have already run through a 11-game non-conference schedule that has seen its opponents post a combined 70-39 overall record (.642) this season -- including a 49-20 record (.710) posted by the seven schools that have handed UC Davis a loss.

AROUND THE NATION: As of Dec. 30, the Aggies stand among the top 100 in the nation in four different categories as a team, ranked No. 34 in three-point percentage (.369), No. 35 in three-pointers per game (7.5), No. 36 in field goal percentage (.446), and No. 75 in assists (15.0 apg).

STAY ON TARGET: Whether or not she's using "The Force," Kelsey Harris is draining three-pointers this season like Luke Skywalker bullseyed womp rats in his T-16 back home. The Brea, California, native leads the Big West Conference and ranks third in the NATION in three-point percentage (.527), while also standing No. 51 nationally in three-pointers made per game at 2.64.

LET'S PLAY TWO!: Saturday's doubleheader with the men's team will mark the third time this season the UC Davis men's and women's basketball teams will share the floor at The Pavilion. The Aggies (of both genders) are unbeaten in those twin bills, with the women defeating Utah Valley and Pacific in their half of the doubleheader, and the men posting wins over Utah State and Utah Valley in the nightcap on Nov. 26 and 29, respectively. The women have won their half of the home doubleheader in each of their last five chances, last falling to Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 23, 2013, while the men have won four of five in that same stretch. The last time the UC Davis men and women were swept in a home doubleheader was on March 9, 2013, against Big West Conference foes UC Irvine (88-85) and Pacific (59-54), respectively.

FOUR!: This time, we're sure. Fipps' chase of the school's all-time scoring record continued last week at nationally ranked Stanford, as the senior finished with 13 points against the Cardinal to jump past Paige Mintun and into fourth place on the UC Davis all-time scoring list. Fipps, who enters Saturday's game with 1,393 career points, stands just 319 points away from breaking Carol Rische's record of 1,711 points scored during her brilliant career from 1979-83 -- well within striking distance for Fipps, who has scored better than 500 points in each of her last two campaigns. The Mariposa, California, native needs to average 18.8 ppg over the remaining 17 regular season contests (possibly less once you throw in any possible postseason games) to place her atop the list.

IN HER SIGHTS: While Rische's record is still a ways away, Fipps' immediate attention can be focused on the No. 2 spot on the Aggies' all-time scoring list -- a mark that could be reached with one big scoring night from the senior. Fipps stands just 20 points behind Jessica Campbell (1,413 points from 2003-06, 2007-08) for third and 24 points back of Staci Stevens (1,417 from 1985-88) for second place.

FIPPS ON A ROLL... HOLD THE MAYO: Fipps has reached double figures in each of her last eight games (138 points total) -- and nine of 11 overall this season -- averaging 17.3 ppg and 5.4 rpg during that stretch, while shooting just over 42 percent (47-for-111) from the floor and 38 percent (21-for-55) from beyond the arc.

THIRD TIME'S A CHARM: Should Fipps finish atop the Aggies' leaderboard when it comes to scoring at the end of the season, she would become only the fourth UC Davis women's basketball player to do so in three consecutive seasons, joining Paige Mintun (2008-11), Staci Stevens (1985-88), and all-time leading scorer Carol Rische -- who is the only Aggie (since records are available in 1973-74) to lead the team in scoring all four years of her career from 1979-83. Last season, Fipps became the ninth UC Davis player to accomplish the feat in back-to-back seasons.

DOHERTY DOING WORK: Doherty is also on a bit of a roll herself, hitting double figures in her last six games, averaging 16.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and shooting .562 (41-for-73) from the field over that span -- including her seventh career 20-point game against San Jose State on Dec. 10. Since missing the season opener against No. 1 UConn, Doherty has scored in double figures in nine of her 10 games this season, narrowly missing out on a perfect record with an well-rounded eight-point, nine-rebound, five-assist game against Pacific on Nov. 29.

DOUBLE DIP: Doherty enters the week ranked seventh overall in the Big West in scoring (14.3 ppg) and fourth in the league in rebounding (7.3 rpg), standing as one of only seven players to rank among the conference's top 15 in both categories. The junior from Lake Forest, California, also ranks among the Big West's best in field goal percentage (5th - .500), blocks (6th - 1.40 bpg), and both offensive (t6th - 2.40 rpg) and defensive (6th - 4.90 rpg) reboounds.

SHE'S JUST ALY FROM THE BLOCK: With 14 blocks in 10 games, junior Alyson Doherty is asserting herself in the post just nine months removed from a serious knee injury that prematurely ended her season in last year's Big West Conference tournament. Doherty, who blocked three shots in three straight games this season against Sacramento State, Saint Mary's, and Utah Valley, registered her 11th career game with three-or-more swats against the Wolverines, falling one shy of her single-game career high set against Long Beach State on Jan. 11, 2014, and matched against UC Irvine on March 8, 2014. She finished with two blocks at #16 Stanford in the Aggies' last outing, giving her 76 for her career and solidifying her hold on seventh on the UC Davis career list, just four back of Ellen Porshneva (2003-06, 2007-08) for sixth place.

FINALLY, ROOM TO BOARD: Thanks to a team-high eight rebounds from junior Celia Marfone and seven more by Alyson Doherty, the Aggies grabbed a 35-30 advantage on the glass against No. 16 Stanford back on Dec. 22 -- marking only the fourth time this season that they have finished on the right side of the rebounding margin, posting a 2-2 record in those games.

SHOOTER!: The top shooting team in the Big West entering the week, UC Davis has been white-hot from the floor in its last 10 contests, hitting on better than 40 percent in each of those games, including a season-best 54 percent at Sacramento State on Nov. 18 and a 50-percent performance against Santa Clara on Dec. 5. The Aggies also rank second in the league as a team in three-point percentage (.369), hitting better than 40 percent from beyond the arc and reaching double digits in three-pointers made four times this season, setting season high's in percentage against Pacific (.563) and makes against San Jose State (11).

HELP ME, HELP YOU: Creating opportunities for teammates has been a hallmark of the Aggies thus far this season, assisting on 165 of the team's 258 makes (64 percent) -- including a season-best 22 helpers on 34 makes against Sacramento State on Nov. 18. UC Davis, which has reached double digits in assists in all but two of its contests this season, ranked third in the Big West in assists entering the week, averaging 15.00 apg to rank behind only UC Riverside (16.00) and Long Beach State (15.38 apg) in the league standings.

SOMEBODY GET A HAND IN HER FACE: Senior Kelsey Harris has been white-hot from beyond the arc through the first 11 games, hitting 29-of-55 from three-point range (.527) and ranking third on the team in scoring at 9.2 ppg. The Brea, California, native entered the week ranked first in the Big West in three-point percentage and second among the league's sharpshooters in three-pointers made per game (2.64). In fact, all but eight of her field goal attempts (87 percent) have come from long distance this season, continuing a trend that saw her take 82 percent (217 of 264) of her field goal attempts from beyond the arc as a junior.

20 POINTS OF LIGHT: Fipps' fourth, 20-point performance of the season -- a 22-point night at San Jose State on Dec. 10 -- was good enough for her 27th career 20-point game. Already the highest-scoring sophomore (512) and junior (548) in the history of the program, Fipps needs just four more 20-point games this season to catch Staci Stevens (31 from 1984-88) for the most career 20-point games in UC Davis history.

I'LL TAKE "WINNING" FOR 20, ALEX: Usually, when Fipps goes for 20 points or more, it equates to a win for the Aggies, who are a combined 17-10 (.630) in the senior's 27 career 20-point performances -- including 10 wins last season.

THE PASSING POSTS: Inside out. Not good if you're a t-shirt, really good if you're a basketball team. Three of the Aggies' top four in assists thus far this season play in the front court as juniors Celia Marfone (21) and Alyson Doherty (21) rank right behind freshman guard Dani Nafekh (30) for the team lead, followed by junior Lauren Beyer (14) in fourth.

LUCKY SEVEN: Since being thrust into the starting lineup at the Air Force Classic, freshman Dani Nafekh has stepped right into the rotation at the point guard position and has run the offense well, by setting and tying a career high with seven assists in three of her last six games, collecting 26 of her team-high 30 assists during that stretch and leading the team with 3.00 apg overall.

RECYCLED NOTES
THEY CAME IN DROVES: With the top-ranked team in the nation visiting Davis, the fans came out in record numbers to see the Aggies battle UConn. The announced attendance of 4,712 at The Pavilion on Nov. 14 was the largest crowd to see a women's basketball game in UC Davis history, topping the previous mark of 4,675 against Chico State back on Jan. 23, 1999, and only the fourth to break the 4,000 mark, joining two other games vs. the Wildcats in 1998 (4,615) and 1996 (4,549).

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ADDS TWO IN EARLY PERIOD: UC Davis women's basketball head coach Jennifer Gross announced, on Nov. 13, that Washington natives Karley and Kourtney Eaton have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers with the Aggies beginning with the 2015-16 season. Originally from Longview, Washington, the twin sisters helped lead the Mark Morris HS girl's basketball team to the school's first-ever Washington State championship as sophomores and a runner-up state finish as juniors in 2014. Over the last two seasons, the Monarchs have compiled a 49-5 overall record with the help of the Eaton's, who will enter UC Davis as freshmen with four years of eligibility remaining. For more information on both Karley and Kourtney, read the full release online at http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/111314aah.html.

AGGIES PICKED FOURTH IN CLOSE 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.

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 campaign that saw the Aggies finish 15-16 overall and 9-7 in Big West 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.

TOURNEY-TESTED SCHEDULE: The Aggies are scheduled to face nine teams that saw 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.

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.

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 2012-13 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.

RECORDS ABOUND: Aside from Kelsey Harris' record-setting performance from beyond the arc, the Aggies were also busy in other categories. 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.