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2015 BIG WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
UC Davis Tournament Central
Semifinals: #5 UC Davis (15-15) vs. #2 CSUN (21-9)
Friday, March 13, 2015
2:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN3.com
RADIO: KDVS 90.3 FM
Game Coverage:Live Stats | Audio | ESPN3.com | UC Davis Notes | CSUN Notes

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Saturday, March 14, 2015
3:00 p.m.
TV: FOX Sports Prime Ticket

TIP-OFF: For the fourth time in its eight seasons in the Big West Conference, the UC Davis women's basketball team has adavnced to the semifinal round of the league tournament, as the fifth-seeded Aggies (15-15 overall) meet second-seeded CSUN on Friday (March 13) at 2:30 p.m., with a trip to the championship game on the line. Top-seeded Hawai'i takes on seventh-seeded Cal State Fullerton in the second semifinal of the day.

"HI, MOM!": For those UC Davis fans unable to make the trip to Southern California, Friday's semifinal will be shown live via ESPN3.com and the Watch ESPN app for your smart devices. Saturday's championship game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Prime Ticket (check your local listings for channel information).

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, 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.

BIG WEST HONORS: Senior Sydnee Fipps was named to the All-Big West First Team for the third consecutive season, junior Alyson Doherty earned her second straight second-team honor, and newcomer Dani Nafekh was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team, as the league announced its honor roll on Monday morning (March 9). For the complete release, please visit http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/030915aaa.html.

RARE ALL-BIG WEST AIR: Fipps became only the second UC Davis women's basketball player to earn three All-Big West First Team honors in a career, joining Paige Mintun, who also accomplished the feat from 2009-11. With her third award on Monday, Fipps joins a select group of only 17 players in the history of the Big West to earn first-team honors at least three times in her career.

ROOKIE NO MORE: After playing in 27 of the team's 28 games -- including five starts -- freshman guard Dani Nafekh probably can shed the "freshman" moniker, averaging nearly 20 minutes per game this season while finished second on the team in assists (61). That, however, didn't stop the Oakville, Ontario, Canada, native from being named to the Big West All-Freshman Team on Monday, becoming only the fifth Aggie to earn such honors. She joins current teammates Alyson Doherty and Molly Greubel (both in 2012-13) as well as Lauren Juric, who was also named the league's Freshman of the Year, and Kasey Riecks in 2008-09.

AROUND THE NATION: UC Davis enters tournament play ranked among the top 20 in the nation in three different categories, standing No. 4 in three-point percentage (.390), No. 12 in three-pointers per game (8.3), and No. 12 in field goal percentage (.450). Individually, senior Kelsey Harris remains among the nation's top sharpshooters, standing No. 3 in the nation in three-point percentage (.486), trailing only UConn's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (.510) and Wisconsin's Nicole Bauman (.488).

"SEMI"-CHARMED KIND OF LIFE: Friday's game marks the Aggies' fourth trip to the semifinals of the Big West Conference Tournament -- and their first since 2011 -- with UC Davis putting a perfect 3-0 record in that round on the line. UC Davis has made appearances in the semifinals in 2008, 2010, and 2011, posting wins over UC Riverside (twice) and UC Santa Barbara.

ON THE FLIP SIDE: Despite all that semifinal success, there is a dark side. UC Davis and CSUN have met in the Big West Conference Tournament on two previous occasions, with the Matadors winning both. Eighth-seeded CSUN upset the No. 5-seeded Aggies, 64-56, in 2009, while the Matadors posted a 61-40 win over UC Davis in 2013.

AGGIES IN THE TOURNEY: UC Davis has qualified for the Big West Conference Tournament in every season since becoming a full-fledged member of the league in 2007-08. The Aggies have made the conference tournament championship game three times in that span (2008, 2010, and 2011), including winning the tournament title and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth in 2011. UC Davis is 8-6 all-time in the Big West Tournament, opening this year's tournament with two straight victories after losing three of four over the last three season.

2008: 1-1 (W, UC Riverside... L, UC Santa Barbara)
2009: 0-1 (L, CSUN)
2010: 1-1 (W, UC Santa Barbara... L, UC Riverside)
2011: 3-0 (W, UC Irvine... W, UC Riverside... W, Cal Poly)
2012: 0-1 (L, Pacific)
2013: 0-1 (L, CSUN)
2014: 1-1 (W, UC Santa Barbara... L, UC Irvine)
2015: 2-0 (W, UC Irvine... W, Long Beach State)

ABOUT THE MATADORS: CSUN enters the tournament on a roll, posting a 21-9 overall record during the regular season and an 11-5 mark in Big West play to earn the No. 2 seed... The Matadors have won their last seven consecutive contests -- all by double figures -- with their last defeat coming at the hands of UC Davis, 73-67, on Feb. 5 at The Pavilion... The senior guard trio of Ashlee Guay (15.8 ppg), Janae Sharpe (12.4 ppg), and Cinnamon Lister (11.5 ppg), are all averaging double figures offensively... Senior center Camille Mahlknecht averages 6.8 rpg and 1.8 blocks per game... CSUN is shooting .393 from the field and scoring 67.6 ppg, while allowing just 58.9 ppg and holding opponents to just .373 from the floor.

SERIES NOTES VERSUS CSUN: According to available records dating back to 1980, UC Davis leads the all-time series with CSUN, 19-14, including a 15-6 mark as Division I foes... The Aggies have won three straight over the Matadors after sweeping the regular season series with a 60-49 win in Northridge and a 73-67 victory at The Pavilion... On a neutral court, CSUN is a perfect 3-0 -- including two wins in the Big West Tournament.

LOOKING AHEAD: The winner of the semifinal between the Aggies and Matadors meeting the victor of the day's first semifinal between top-seeded regular season champion Hawai'i and seventh seeded Cal State Fullerton. The Titans advanced to the semis after posting back-to-back upsets over No. 6 UC Riverside and No. 3 Cal Poly on their home floor in the first two rounds.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN... BANG!: Senior Kelsey Harris set a school single-game record and tied a Big West Conference Tournament record with eight three-pointers in the Aggies' quarterfinal win over Long Beach State, finishing with a career-high 26 points en route to a 70-67 UC Davis victory. The mark broke the previous school record of seven last accomplished by Lindsey Jones against Cal Poly in 2007, and matched the tournament record held by Cal State Fullerton's Autumn Hollyfield (against UC Santa Barbara) set on March 8, 1995.

MORE FROM BEYOND THE ARC: With Harris leading the way, the Aggies finished 13-of-29 from beyond the arc against the 49ers as a team, breaking the previous tournament single-game mark of 12 set by Idaho against Pacific on March 12, 2004.

MADE TO BE BROKEN: Harris' eight three-pointers gave her 86 for the season, matching her own UC Davis single-season record set last year. Her 172 total three-pointers made are 22 back of career record-holder Lori Hurlbut, who hit 194 from beyond the arc from 1997-01.

IT COULD GO EITHER WAY: There has been nothing comfortable about this season if you're the Aggies, who have had each of their last five games -- and 19 of 30 overall -- decided by single digits, including six by a single possession. Nine of the team's 15 losses overall have been by eight points or fewer -- including five of those by one possession (three points or fewer).

DOUBLE UP: Junior Alyson Doherty came up big inside against the 49ers, notching her sixth double-double of the season (and the ninth of her career), ranking her in a tie for third in the league entering this weekend's semifinal games. All six of her double-doubles have come against different teams as she posted her first since an 18-point, 11-rebound outing against Hawai'i at home on Jan. 22.

NOT HALF BAD: It was almost two-thirds good for the Aggies in their opening-round game against UC Irvine, as UC Davis shot a season-high .588 (30-for-51) against the Anteaters en route to the 80-71 victory. The Big West leaders in field goal percentage entering the week (.450), the Aggies have hit 50 percent (or better) from the floor seven times this year.

ON TARGET: Speaking of shooting prowess, UC Davis has now shot better than 40 percent in 26 of its 30 games this season, looking to lead the way in the Big West standings for the second straight year after pacing the conference with a .421 field goal percentage in 2013-14. If the season ended today, the Aggies' .450 field goal percentage would be the highest by a Big West school since UC Santa Barbara shot .460 as a team in 2003-04. A top finish in the category this season would mark the third time that UC Davis would lead the league, also joining the 2007-08 squad, which led the Big West by shooting .435 from the field.

WHAT'S A FEW MORE FEET?: UC Davis' league-best .390 from three-point range would give the Aggies their first league title in that category, posting the highest percentage from long-distance since UNLV paced the Big West in 1993-94, shooting .407 from beyond the arc.

REWRITING THE BOOKS: A season after sinking a single-season school-record 86 three-pointers, senior Kelsey Harris is on the verge of rewriting yet another school mark in her final season -- this time for accuracy. Harris' .486 three-point percentage this year would shatter the previous UC Davis mark of .430 set by Lori Hurlbut in 1998, and would also rank third on the Big West Conference single-season list.

NEAR OR FAR?: If Harris had her druthers, the further away the better. Of her 200 field goal attempts this season, 177 have been from behind the arc (88.5%), while 86 of her 96 makes (89.6%) have been from three-point range. During her stellar two-year Aggie career, Harris has taken all but 70 of her field goal attempts from beyond the arc, shooting .437 (172-for-394) for her career from three, while shooting a more-than-respectable .471 from everywhere else (33-for-70).

BLOCK YOU VERY MUCH: Doherty's two blocks against Long Beach State gave her 35 for the year -- matching her total from all of last year that ranked tied for seventh on the school's single-season list. The performance gave her 97 for her career, passing Staci Stevens (1985-88) for fourth on the all-time leaderboard and, with three more swats, she would 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).

CAREER YEAR: Doherty is enjoying a career in her third year as an Aggie, setting a new career best with 388 points. Other career high's for the junior include free throws made (105), free throws attempted (136), rebounds (187), and assists (67), while her scoring average (13.4) and rebounding average (6.4) would also be career bests.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A POINT MAKES: The Aggies reached 80 points in their opening-round win over UC Irvine -- the third time this year they have reached that plateau (90 at Sacramento State and 83 against Long Beach State), improving to 3-0 in those contests. Coupled with its 70 points against the 49ers in the quarterfinals, UC Davis is 14-7 this year when scoring at least 60 points in a game. On the flip side, the Aggies are just 1-8 this year in games in which it scored 59 points or fewer.

M*A*S*H UNIT: Someone get "Hawkeye" and "Trapper" on the radio, the Aggies are in need of a medic. Aside from Fipps going down in the penultimate regular season contest, UC Davis has also had its depth tested when sophomore guard Taylor McGuire was ruled out due to an eye injury prior to its game against Cal Poly on Feb. 26, and lost point guard Molly Greubel to a wrist injury just three games into the year. Along with redshirts Lauren Seyranian and Morgan Bertsch, the Aggies are down to 10 players -- one fewer than their entire roster in 2013-14.

SPONSORED BY ENERGIZER?: She kept scoring and scoring and scoring. Junior center Aly Doherty had the best offensive game of her UC Davis career in the regular season finale at UC Irvine on March 7. With her teammate, and leading scorer, Sydnee Fipps sidelined due to injury, Doherty shouldered the load for the Aggies, scoring a career-high 27 points on 8-of-14 from the field and finishing with a career high 11 free throws (on 15 attempts). The scoring output topped her previous high of 24 points at Hofstra last season, giving her three 20-point games this season (and eight for her career), while the 11 free throws were two better than her previous best set at home against UC Santa Barbara last year.

TONIGHT'S TOP 10 LIST: Doherty enters the semifinals ranked seventh in the Big West in scoring (13.4 ppg) and eighth in rebounding (6.4 rpg), standing as one of only three players to rank among the conference's top 10 in both categories entering the tournament (UC Riverside's Annelise Ito and Cal State Fullerton's Kathleen Iwuoha being the others). The junior from Lake Forest, California, also ranks among the best in field goal percentage (2nd - .505), free throw percentage (4th - .772), blocks (5th - 1.21 bpg), and defensive (8th - 4.55 rpg) reboounds.