THIS WEEK...
GAME 18: UC Davis (8-9, 3-2) at Cal Poly (9-9, 4-2)
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015
7:00 p.m.
San Luis Obispo, Calif. -- Mott Athletic Center
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio | Video

GAME 19: UC Davis (8-9, 3-2) at UC Santa Barbara (0-18, 0-5)
Saturday, Jan. 30, 2015
2:00 p.m.
Santa Barbara, Calif. -- The Thunderdome
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio | Video

TIP-OFF: Winners of four of its last six, the UC Davis women's basketball team (8-9 overall, 3-2 in the Big West) preps for both ends of the conference standing spectrum this week, heading to the Central Coast to take on Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara. The Aggies and second-place Mustangs meet on Thursday night (Jan. 29) at 7 p.m., before taking on the last-place Gauchos in a Saturday matinee (Jan. 31) at 2 p.m.

IN THE POLLS: Entering this week's contests, UC Davis, Cal Poly, nor UC Santa Barbara, are ranked.

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 MUSTANGS: Cal Poly enters the week with a 9-9 overall record and a 4-2 mark in Big West Conference play -- sitting in a tie for second place, just a half game back of league-leading Long Beach State... The Mustangs have won five of their last seven overall and are coming off a split last week of road games at Cal State Fullerton (W, 57-48) and UC Riverside (L, 82-78)... Cal Poly is 5-4 at home this season, including winning two of three in league play... A deep roster (17 players have seen time this season) is led offensively by senior guard Ariana Elegado, who is averaging 15.8 points and 4.22 assists per game this season... Senior forward Taryn Garza leads the team in rebounding (6.9 rpg) to go along with 6.5 points per game... Cal Poly averages 67.8 ppg and is shooting .395 from the field, while holding opponents to 67.7 ppg and a .398 field goal percentage.

VERSUS CAL POLY: Dating back to 1979, UC Davis holds a narrow lead in the all-time series with Cal Poly, 25-21, but the Mustangs have the advantage as Division I foes, leading the Aggies, 8-7... The two teams split their regular season meetings last year with each team winning on the other's home court... The two have split regular season contests in each of the last five seasons dating back to a Cal Poly sweep in 2009... UC Davis is just 9-13 in San Luis Obispo, ending a five-game losing streak with its 77-69 win last season.

ABOUT THE GAUCHOS: Struggling through one of the worst seasons in program history, UC Santa Barbara enters the week at 0-18 overall and 0-5 in Big West play... The Gauchos have lost their last 23 consecutive games dating back to a 64-54 win at Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 22, 2014, and haven't won at home since an 80-69 victory against Long Beach State on Feb. 13, 2014... Sophomore guard Onome Jemerigbe is the only UCSB player to have started all 18 games, averaging a team-high 8.3 points and 4.0 assists per game, while shooting .429 from the floor... Senior center Clair Watkins leads the team with 5.5 rebounds per game and 28 blocks (1.75 bpg)... The Gauchos are averaging 47.8 ppg while shooting .339 from the floor, while opponents are averaging 68.7 ppg and shooting .459 from the field.

VERSUS UC SANTA BARBARA: Dating back to 1974, the Aggies trail in the all-time series with the Gauchos, 15-12, but have won the last three straight -- and nine of the last 12 overall... UC Davis swept the regular season series from UCSB last season for the first time since 2011, posting an 82-70 win at home and a 65-47 victory on the road, before taking down the Gauchos, 58-57, in the first round of the Big West Tournament in Long Beach, California... The Aggies are 5-7 on the road against the Gauchos (with the location of one game unknown), having won four of the last five trips to Santa Barbara... The 82 points scored against UCSB at The Pavilion last season were the most by a UC Davis squad in the history of the series.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH(ER)...: The UC Davis women's basketball team gets going. According to the NCAA, the Aggies have navigated the 11th most difficult schedule in the nation (just missing the top 10 by mere percentage points) entering the week -- up two spots from last week's rankings -- with previous opponents posting a combined 176-100 (.638) record as of Jan. 25. In preparation for their Big West Conference schedule, the Aggies ran through a 11-game Division I non-conference slate 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 handed UC Davis a loss.

AROUND THE NATION: As of Jan. 25, the Aggies stand among the top 100 in the nation in four different categories as a team, ranked No. 6 in three-point percentage (.392), No. 16 in three-pointers per game (8.3), No. 28 in field goal percentage (.444), and No. 65 in assists (14.9 apg). Individually, senior Kelsey Harris had her three-week national reign at No. 1 in three-point percentage come to an end, slipping to No. 4 (.484) entering the week, while also standing No. 43 in three's made per game (2.59). Senior Sydnee Fipps also ranks among the top 50 in three-point percentage, entering the week at No. 38 (.409).

A "SHOT" AT HISTORY: The Aggies' shooting prowess from beyond the arc has them on track for one of the best three-point shooting seasons in school history as their .392 (141-for-360) percentage from beyond the arc this season would shatter the previous team mark of .378 (168-for-445) set in 2004-05. In addition, if the season ended today, UC Davis' overall field goal percentage (.444) would be its highest of the Division I era and the best since the 2003-04 squad shot .455 from the floor, while the school record is held by the 1990-91 team that shot .457 from the field.

DE-FENSE (CLAP, CLAP)... DE-FENSE (CLAP, CLAP): The 58 points allowed against Hawai'i in the Aggies' last outing marked the eighth time that they have held opponents to fewer than 60 points in game this season. Not surprisingly, UC Davis has been fairly successful in those contests, posting a 6-2 record in those contests.

OUT QUICKLY: The Aggies jumped out of the gate quickly against Hawai'i in their last outing, holding a lead (or tied) at the break for the sixth consecutive game and the 11th time overall in 17 contests this season. UC Davis, however, has struggled to hold on to that advantage, falling to 6-5 when holding a halftime lead following its loss to the Rainbow Wahine, having been outscored, 573-540, in the second half of games this season.

SHE'S NO. 2! SHE'S NO. 2!: Solidifying her hold on second place on the UC Davis women's basketball all-time scoring list, senior forward Sydnee Fipps enters this week's games with 1,486 career points, now setting her sights on Carol Rische and the No. 1 spot. The Mariposa, California, native needs 226 more points to pass the Aggie all-time great, needing to average 20.5 ppg over the remaining 11 regular season contests (possibly less once you throw in any possible postseason games), however, to place her atop the list.

BIG TIME IN THE BIG WEST: Fipps' 1,486 career points rank 33rd on the Big West Conference's all-time list -- one of three active players making the climb up the league's chart this season (Cal Poly's Ariana Elegado and CSUN's Ashlee Guay are the others). Fipps is only the third Aggie to reach the 1,000-point milestone since UC Davis has been a member of the Big West, joining Paige Mintun (1,364 points from 2007-11) and Kasey Riecks (1,076 points from 2008-12).

THAT'S WHAT ALY DOHERTY IS ALL ABOUT: Junior Alyson Doherty logged her Big West Conference-best fifth double-double of the season against Hawai'i last week, scoring 18 points and falling one rebound shy of her season high with 11 against the Rainbow Wahine. It was the eighth double-double of Doherty's career -- the most among active Aggies -- and the ninth double-digit rebounding performance of her career -- tied with classmate Celia Marfone for the most among active players.

SHE'S JUST ALY FROM THE BLOCK: Doherty tied a season high with three blocks last week against Hawai'i -- her fifth multi-block game of the year and the 12th of her career -- giving her 19 for the season and moving her past Ellen Porshneva (2003-06, 2007-08) into sixth place on the school's all-time list with 81. Doherty needs six more to match current Aggie assistant coach Des Abeyta for fifth, and 19 more to become only the fourth UC Davis player to reach 100 for her career, joining Paige Mintun (150 from 2006-11), Kendall Greene (119 from 1992-96), and Janae Henning (109 from 1998-02).

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 10 more rebounds last week against Hawai'i for her fifth double-digit rebounding performance in her last six games. The junior from Laguna Hills, California, ranks second on the team (and 10th in the Big West) with 6.5 rpg this season.

20 POINTS OF LIGHT: Fipps' career high-tying 29 points against UC Riverside on Jan. 15 marked the senior's sixth 20-point game of the year and the 28th of her career -- just three back of Staci Stevens (31 from 1984-88) for the most 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 18-10 (.643) in the senior's 28 career 20-point performances -- including 10 wins in 2013-14.

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.

NOW IT'S "PERSONAL": When Fipps fouled out of last week's game against Hawai'i, it marked only the third time this season that an Aggie has been disqualified from a contest -- the fewest in a season (thus far) dating back to the 2009-10 campaign when two UC Davis players combined to foul out a total of three times during the Aggies' 21-11 season and WNIT run.

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 16 games -- including a season-high 54.8 percent against UC Riverside on Jan. 15. The Aggies lead the Big West in both field goal percentage (.444) and three-point percentage (.392), while listing two individuals among the conference's top 10 from the floor: Alyson Doherty (6th - .476) and Sydnee Fipps (8th - .463).

SHOOTING IT UP A NOTCH: Big West play has been kind to Aggie shooters, who are hitting on a 45 percent clip from the field in conference games -- six percentage points better than their overall percentage (.444) -- and a blistering .465 from beyond the arc in five league contests, well above the .392 overall. Both conference-only marks are tops in the Big West entering the week.

THREE-CO-LA!!!: The Aggies have been downright deadly from long range this season, especially as of late, reaching double-digit makes from beyond the arc in five of their last six games -- hitting 58-of-135 (.430) in that stretch -- and eight of their last 11 overall. UC Davis matched a season high with 12 three-pointers in its five-point win over Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 17, and has hit 40 percent or better from three-point range eight times -- including four games at 50 percent or higher.

SOMEBODY GET A HAND IN HER FACE: Senior Kelsey Harris has been white-hot from beyond the arc through 17 games, hitting 44-of-91 from three-point range (.484) 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 third among the league's sharpshooters in three-pointers made per game (2.59). In fact, all but 12 of her field goal attempts (88 percent) and all but four of her 48 made baskets (92 percent) have come from long distance this season, continuing a trend that saw her take 82 percent (217 of 264) of her attempts from beyond the arc as a junior.

DELICIOUS DISH: Creating opportunities for teammates has been a hallmark of the Aggies thus far this season, assisting on 254 of the team's 392 makes (65 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 three of its contests this season, ranks second in the Big West in assists entering the week, averaging 14.94 apg to rank behind only UC Riverside (15.95) in the league standings.

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.

DOUBLE DIP: Doherty enters the week ranked sixth in the Big West in scoring (13.1 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (7.0 rpg), standing as one of only eight players to rank among the conference's top 15 in both categories. The junior from Lake Forest, California, also ranks among the best in field goal percentage (6th - .476), free throw percentage (9th - .754), blocks (5th - 1.19 bpg), and both offensive (T-10th - 2.06 rpg) and defensive (5th - 4.94 rpg) reboounds.