THIS WEEK...
GAME 15: UC Riverside (10-6, 1-1 Big West) at UC Davis (6-8, 1-1 Big West)
Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015
7:00 p.m.
Davis, Calif. - The Pavilion (5,670)
RADIO: KDVS 90.3 FM
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio | Video | UC Davis Notes | UCR Notes

GAME 16: Cal State Fullerton (7-7, 1-1 Big West) at UC Davis (6-8, 1-1 Big West)
Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015
2:00 p.m.
Davis, Calif. - The Pavilion (5,670)
RADIO: KDVS 90.3 FM
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio | Video | UC Davis Notes | CSF Notes

TIP-OFF: After falling just shy of its first 2-0 Big West Conference start in school history, the UC Davis women's basketball team (6-8 overall, 1-1 in the Big West) looks to rebound from a heart-breaking loss with its league home openers this weekend. The Aggies welcome UC Riverside to town on Thursday (Jan. 15) at 7 p.m., before hosting Cal State Fullerton in a Saturday matinee (Jan. 17) at 2 p.m. at The Pavilion.

IN THE POLLS: Entering this week's contests, UC Davis, UC Riverside, and Cal State Fullerton, are unranked in the national polls.

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 HIGHLANDERS: UC Riverside enters the week with a 10-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Big West play following a split against travel partner Cal State Fullerton (L, 58-49) and UC Irvine (W, 71-58)... The Highlanders have won four of their last six, but are just 2-5 in true road games this season, losing their last two... Junior Brittany Crain who, at one time led the nation in scoring this season, paces the Big West (and ranks XX in the NCAA) at 23.3 points per game, shooting .453 from the field and gravving a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game... Simone DeCoud (12.9 ppg) and Annelise Ito (11.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg) are also in double figures... The Highlanders are shooting just under 42 percent from the field this season and average 70.3 ppg, while holding opponents to .381 field goal percentage and just 62.2 ppg.

VERSUS UC RIVERSIDE: Dating back to the 1970-71, UC Davis leads the all-time series with UC Riverside, 30-19, including a 10-7 mark since the Aggies became full-fledged members of the Big West Conference in 2007-08... UC Davis has won seven straight against the Highlanders, sweeping the regular season series in each of the last three seasons and posting a win in the first round of the 2011 Big West Conference Tournament... The last loss in the series for the Aggies came during the 2010-11 regular season in a 74-62 defeat as UCR swept the regular season series prior to UC Davis' tournament win... The Aggies are 5-2 at home against the Highlanders since joining the Big West.

ABOUT THE TITANS: Cal State Fullerton enters the week with an even 7-7 record and a 1-0 mark in conference play following its nine-point victory over travel partner UC Riverside to tip-off the league schedule... The Titans have won three straight heading into their Thursday game at UC Irvine, also posting wins over UMKC (72-52) and Seattle (66-59) during that stretch... Senior guard Chante Miles is second in the conference in scoring at 19.4 ppg, shooting .442 from the floor and dishing out 72 assists (5.14 apg)... Senior forward Kathleen Iwuoha is also in double figures (11.1 ppg), while averaging a team-high 6.8 rpg and shooting .522 from the field... Fullerton shoots .396 from the floor and averages 61.8 ppg as a team, holding opponents to a .397 field goal percentage and 63.1 ppg.

VERSUS CAL STATE FULLERTON: The series between the Aggies and the Titans is all knotted up at 10 wins apiece, but UC Davis holds a slim, 8-6, lead since joining the Big West in 2007-08... The two schools have split the regular season meetings in each of the last six years dating back to a series sweep by the Aggies during their first year in the conference... The road team has been dominant in the last few seasons, with Fullerton winning its last four trips to The Pavilion and posting a 5-2 record overall against UC Davis in Northern California... The Aggies' last win at home against the Titans came during the 2009-10 season in an 80-52 victory behind 21 points and 10 rebounds from Paige Mintun.

CONGRATS, COACH!: UC Davis' big rally against the Matadors to tip-off Big West Conference play allowed Head Coach Jennifer Gross to reach a milestone, of sorts, in her fourth season at the helm, claiming her 50th career coaching victory in the Aggies' 60-49 win in Northridge.

AROUND THE NATION: As of Jan. 12, the Aggies stand among the top 100 in the nation in four different categories as a team, ranked No. 14 in three-point percentage (.377), No. 16 in three-pointers per game (8.2), No. 39 in field goal percentage (.440), and No. 56 in assists (15.4 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 NATION in three-point percentage for the second consecutive week, hitting on 51.3 percent from beyond the arc, while also standing No. 27 nationally with 2.86 three-pointers made per game.

SHE'S NO. 2! SHE'S NO. 2!: With a pair of big-time scoring performances last week in Southern California, senior forward Sydnee Fipps jumped past Staci Stevens (1985-88) and into sole possession of second place on the UC Davis women's basketball all-time scoring list, entering this week's games with 1,440 career points. The Mariposa, California, native now sets her sights on Carol Rische and the No. 1 spot, needing 271 more points to catch the Aggie all-time great. To get there, Fipps needs to average 19.4 ppg over the remaining 14 regular season contests (possibly less once you throw in any possible postseason games), however, to place her atop the list.

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 just the ninth UC Davis player to accomplish the feat in back-to-back seasons.

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET: In preparation for their Big West Conference schedule, the Aggies ran through a 11-game Division I non-conference schedule that saw its opponents post a combined 93-55 overall record (.628) prior to the start of conference play -- including a 65-30 record (.684) posted by the seven schools that have handed UC Davis a loss. According to the Jan. 5 NCAA statistics just prior to tipping-off league action, the Aggies played the toughest schedule among Big West members and ranked as the 46th most difficult slate in the nation.

FIPPS ON A ROLL... HOLD THE MAYO: Fipps has reached double figures in each of her last 11 games (185 points total) -- and 12 of 14 overall this season -- averaging 18.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg during that stretch, while shooting just under 44 percent (64-for-146) from the floor and 40 percent (28-for-70) from beyond the arc.

BOARD OUT OF HER MIND: Springs in her shoes? Maybe. Whatever the reason, forward Celia Marfone has been a beast on the boards as of late, finishing with double-digit rebound totals in each of her last three games -- including a season-high 12 boards at Long Beach State in the Aggies' last contest on Jan. 10. The junior from Laguna Hills, California, is averaging 10.7 rebounds per game over that stretch, and her 32 total rebounds are just two shy of her total of 34 from her previous seven games combined. The total against the 49ers was the seventh double-digit rebounding performance of her career -- just one back of classmate Alyson Doherty for the most among active Aggies -- while ranking second on the team (and 13th in the Big West) at 6.0 rpg this season.

ROOM AND BOARDS: Speaking of rebounds... After struggling on the glass for a good portion of the non-conference schedule, the Aggies have flipped the switch when it comes to crashing the boards, outrebounding each of their last four opponents -- including a season-best 16-rebound advantage against Menlo College on Jan. 3. UC Davis has now held the advantage in rebounds in seven of its 14 games and has found itself on the right side of the rebounding margin for its longest stretch since they accomplished the feat in five straight contests from Feb. 27-March 11 last season.

DOHERTY DOUBLE-DOUBLES UP: That's what junior Alyson Doherty is all about. The Lake Forest, California, native tallied her fourth double-double of the season in the Aggies' come-from-behind victory over CSUN last week, finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds to go with four assists against the Matadors. It was the seventh career double-double for Doherty -- the most among active UC Davis players (Sydnee Fipps, 5).

THREE-CO-LA!!!: The Aggies were deadly from long range this past weekend, combining to hit 20-of-44 (.455) from beyond the arc in their two games against CSUN and Long Beach State, reaching double-digit makes in each of those contests. UC Davis has now made 10-or-more three-pointers in each of its last three games, and seven times overall this season, including a season-best 12 makes from long range against Menlo College to ring in the New Year. The Aggies have shot better than 40 percent from three six times -- including 50 percent or better on three ocassions, with a season-high of .563 against Pacific on Nov. 29.

CAN'T MISS: Since being held to just 30 percent from the field against top-ranked UConn in the season opener, the UC Davis shooters have been lights out from the floor, shooting better than 40 percent in the ensuing 13 games -- following up its worst shooting performance of the year with a season-high 54 percent at Sacramento State back on Nov. 18 in the second game of the year. The Aggies lead the Big West with a .440 field goal percentage as a team and list three individuals among the conference's top 10 in that category (Kelsey Harris, Alyson Doherty, and Sydnee Fipps).

DELICIOUS DISH: Creating opportunities for teammates has been a hallmark of the Aggies thus far this season, assisting on 215 of the team's 327 makes (66 percent) -- including tying a season high with 22 helpers on 30 makes against Menlo College on Jan. 3. UC Davis, which has reached double digits in assists in all but two of its contests this season, ranks second in the Big West in assists entering the week, averaging 15.36 apg to rank behind only UC Riverside (15.81) in the league standings, while freshman Dani Nafekh ranks 10th individually at 2.92 apg.

SOMEBODY GET A HAND IN HER FACE: Senior Kelsey Harris has been white-hot from beyond the arc through the first 14 games, hitting 40-of-78 from three-point range (.513) and ranking third on the team in scoring at 9.9 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 (2.86). In fact, all but nine of her field goal attempts (90 percent) and all but three of her 43 made baskets (93 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.

SHE'S JUST ALY FROM THE BLOCK: With her 14 blocks this season, junior Alyson Doherty is asserting herself in the post just 10 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, 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.

DOUBLE DIP: Doherty enters the week ranked tied for seventh overall in the Big West in both scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 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 (7th - .483), free throw percentage (4th - .783), blocks (7th - 1.08 bpg), and both offensive (8th - 2.23 rpg) and defensive (6th - 4.77 rpg) reboounds.

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.

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.