2016-17 UC Davis women's basketball schedule

DAVIS, Calif. -- Road games at "Final Four" participant Oregon State and NCAA regional finalist Stanford highlight a total of 12 contests against teams that reached the postseason a year ago, as UC Davis Head Coach Jennifer Gross announced the Aggies' 31-game schedule for the 2016-17 campaign on Tuesday.

"We are excited about this year's schedule and can't wait to get the season started," said Gross, who is entering her sixth season at the helm of the program. "We will compete against various styles of play in different environments throughout the country, which will help prepare us for a talented Big West Conference."

Aside from the Beavers and Cardinal, NCAA Tournament participants San Francisco, Jacksonville, and Big West Conference Tournament champion Hawai'i, are joined by WNIT qualifiers UC Riverside, Long Beach State, Montana State, Saint Mary's, and Hofstra, on the UC Davis schedule for the upcoming campaign. Oregon State made a stellar run to the program's first "Final Four" appearance before falling to eventual national champion UConn, while Stanford reached the Lexington regional final during its run to the "Elite Eight" of last year's tournament before falling to conference rival Washington.

The Pride of Hofstra advanced the furthest of any of the WNIT qualifiers on the Aggies' schedule, reaching the quarterfinals before falling to eventual tournament runners-up, and Atlantic Sun Conference rival, Florida Gulf Coast.

A home-heavy start to the season will see UC Davis play eight of its first 10 games on the floor at The Pavilion, easing into the campaign with a pair of home exhibitions against Oregon Tech on Oct. 29 and Stanislaus State on Nov. 4. The Aggies officially tip-off the season with a return visit from Pacific Northwest foe Portland, before Division II foe Holy Names travels north on Nov. 11 and 13, respectively, at The Pavilion. A short jaunt down Interstate 5 and a clash with former Big West rival Pacific on Nov. 21 puts UC Davis on the road for the first time.

"This is a unique schedule in that we play so many home games early," Gross said. "We are looking forward to getting the entire UC Davis community out to The Pavilion to cheer this team on. After a great run to the Big West Tournament championship game last season, our team is eager to get the season started and excited to compete again."

The Aggies then open a three-game home stand against Montana State (Nov. 23) and Hofstra (Nov. 27) around the Thanksgiving holiday before closing out the run, and welcoming women's basketball alumnae to The Pavilion, on Dec. 2 against San Diego State. The Aggies continue their rivalry with Stanford with a matinee on Dec. 4 at Maples Pavilion, and hosts Saint Mary's on Dec. 11 following final exams, before closing out the non-conference schedule with six straight games on the road to close out the month and ring in the New Year.

A mid-week morning clash with Oregon State (Dec. 14) kicks-off the trip, before the Aggies stay "local" prior to the Christmas break with road games at Causeway Cup rival Sacramento State (Dec. 18) and San Francisco (Dec. 21). Following the holiday, UC Davis takes a cross-country flight to take on a pair of Florida foes in UCF (Dec. 28) and Jacksonville University (Dec. 30) -- the latter to be played at the University of North Florida's home court -- before Big West play rings in the New Year.

The Aggies make a quick jaunt to Southern California to take on UC Irvine in their league opener on Jan. 5 -- marking the third straight season that the Aggies will open the conference schedule on the road -- before returning to The Pavilion to welcome Hawai'i to Northern California on Jan. 7, in the first of five home conference doubleheaders with the UC Davis men's team.

Other home doubleheader dates include Jan. 28 against Cal State Fullerton, Feb. 11 against UC Irvine, Feb. 23 against Cal Poly, and Feb. 25 against UC Santa Barbara.

This year's Big West Conference Tournament tips-off on March 7 with the first round and quarterfinal games hosted by Long Beach State at the Walter Pyramid, before the scene switches to the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., for the semifinals (March 10) and championship game (March 11). The 36th annual NCAA Tournament begins with opening round games on March 17, concluding with the "Final Four" at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on March 31 and April 2.

The Aggies return seven letter winners and three starters off of last season's squad that finished 19-13 overall and 10-6 in conference play, advancing to the championship game of the Big West Tournament as the No. 4 seed. Redshirt sophomore Morgan Bertsch returns after a stellar Division I debut that saw her lead the team in scoring at 13.9 ppg, and rank seventh in the NCAA with a .582 field goal percentage, en route to All-Big West second team and all-freshman team honors. She is joined by junior all-conference honorable mention selection Pele Gianotti, who finished third on the team in scoring at 11.5 ppg while grabbing 5.2 rebounds per contest and shooting .454 from the field.

2016-17 UC DAVIS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS AT-A-GLANCE

Sat., Oct. 29 - OREGON TECH (Exhibition): The NAIA Owls are coming off a season that saw them finish 26-9 overall and 16-4 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play, reach the conference tournament championship game, and advance to the second round of the NAIA Division II tournament following an upset of second-seeded Jamestown (N.D.). Senior Ashleigh Vandenbrink, a Davis High School alum, returns home after leading the team in scoring at 11.8 ppg while shooting .485 from the field in 35 games as a junior in 2015-16. The two programs last met in a game that counted during the 1986-87 season -- a 52-48 Oregon Tech victory in Klamath Falls, Ore.

Fri., Nov. 4 - STANISLAUS STATE (Exhibition): The Warriors wrapped up their 2015-16 season with a 16-11 overall record and a 12-8 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association play, facing the Aggies in the first of two exhibitions against Division I opponents (they play at Nevada on Nov. 5). Senior forward Cassidy Sanders-Curry leads the returners after pacing Stanislaus State with 9.9 ppg, shooting .399 from the floor in 27 games. The two programs last met in 2003-04, with the Aggies posting a 95-72 win at home.

Fri., Nov. 11 - PORTLAND: The Pilots struggled to a 3-27 overall record and a 1-17 mark in West Coast Conference play a season ago, a record that included a 72-47 loss to UC Davis on Nov. 29. Portland, whose only wins came over Willamette, crosstown rival Portland State, and conference foe Pepperdine, was led offensively by sophomore-to-be Ellie Woerner, who averaged 11.8 ppg and shot .404 from the field.

Sun., Nov. 13 - HOLY NAMES: The Hawks, who have recently made the jump to Division II and are the newest members of the Pacific West Conference, finished last season with an 8-20 overall record and a 7-13 mark in conference play, returning their top four scorers. Senior guard Garysha Youngblood led the way, averaging 10.7 points per game in 27 starts -- including a 12.1 ppg average against conference foes -- to finish as the only HNU player in double figures.

Mon., Nov. 21 - AT PACIFIC: The Tigers finished 13-17 overall and 6-12 in the West Coast Conference last season to tie for seventh, while ranking fifth in the league at nearly 70 points per game. Pacific, which handed UC Davis a 66-53 defeat at The Pavilion last year, is led by the junior duo of Desire Finnie (11.4 ppg) and GeAnna Luaulu-Summers (10.3 ppg), who finished second and third on the team in scoring.

Wed., Nov. 23 - MONTANA STATE: Coming off a WNIT berth where they lost in the opening round to Utah on the road, the Bobcats finished the year at 21-10 overall and 14-4 in Big Sky play to claim the conference's regular season title, but were upset in the opening round of the conference tournament by ninth-seeded Idaho State on a half-court buzzer-beater. Led by Big Sky Coach of the Year Tricia Binford, Montana State is led by senior guard Peyton Ferris, who stood second on the team in scoring at 15.0 ppg and shot 58 percent from the field last season.

Sun., Nov. 27 - HOFSTRA: Meeting for only the second time in the history of the two programs, UC Davis will be looking to avenge a 76-57 loss to the Pride back during the 2013-14 season. Hofstra, which finished 25-9 overall and 13-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association to finish third in the league, advanced to the quarterfinals of the WNIT with wins over Harvard, Villanova, and Virginia, before falling to eventual tournament runner-up Florida Gulf Coast. Senior Kelly Loftus led the team in scoring a season ago, averaging 12.2 ppg, and was joined in double figures by junior Ashunae Durant, who poured in 11.4 ppg.

Fri., Dec. 2 - SAN DIEGO STATE: After suffering a 65-54 defeat to the Aggies last season in Southern California, the Aztecs make the return trip to Northern California in 2016-17 looking to rebound from a 12-19 season that saw SDSU finish 6-12 in the Mountain West Conference. Junior guard McKynzie Fort returns to lead the offense after averaging 14.4 ppg and shooting .462 from the field, while it will be a homecoming of sorts for freshman Baylee Vanderdoes, who prepped at nearby Placer HS in Auburn, Calif.

Sun., Dec. 4 - AT STANFORD: A four seed in last year's NCAA Tournament, the Cardinal made a run to the regional final where they fell to Pac-12 foe Washington, capping off a 27-8 season with a 14-4 conference mark to tie for third. Stanford posted wins over San Francisco, South Dakota State, and top-seeded Notre Dame, during its run to the "Elite Eight," led by senior forward Erica McCall, who topped the team in both scoring and rebounding at 13.8 ppg and 8.9 rpg, respectively, while shooting 50 percent from the field. Senior teammate Lili Thompson joined her in double figures at 12.4 ppg, including 10 points in a 74-45 win over UC Davis at The Pavilion last year.

Sun., Dec. 11 - SAINT MARY'S: The Gaels garnered a WNIT berth a season ago, falling to Eastern Michigan by a single point, and finishing with a 24-8 overall record and a 14-4 mark in the West Coast Conference to place second behind BYU in the standings. Saint Mary's, which dropped an exhilarating 78-71 overtime decision to the Aggies last season, returns two of its top three scorers for the 2016-17 campaign in sophomore Sydney Raggio (11.6 ppg) and senior Devon Brookshire (11.0 ppg) -- a duo that helped power an offense that ranked No. 28 in the nation at 74.6 ppg and No. 14 in the NCAA with a .458 field goal percentage.

Wed., Dec. 14 - AT OREGON STATE: Winners of the Pacific-12 Conference for the second straight season, the Beavers are coming off a 32-5 season that saw them also lay claim to the conference tournament title and advance to the program's first-ever "Final Four," falling to eventual national champion UConn. Oregon State, which finished 16-1 at home last season, loses two of its top three scorers from a season ago, but is led by senior guard Sydney Wiese, who averaged 12.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.93 assists per game while shooting .427 from the field, a season ago. The meeting will be only the third between the two programs -- all three of those played in Corvallis -- and the first since the 2012 WNIT, when the Beavers downed the Aggies, 66-48, in the first round.

Sun., Dec. 18 - AT SACRAMENTO STATE: The annual Causeway rivalry game went in favor of the Hornets last season with a 92-77 win at The Pavilion, as the two teams return to The Nest where the Aggies posted a 90-82 win back in 2014. Sacramento State finished 14-17 overall and 10-8 in the Big Sky Conference, advancing to the quarterfinals of the league tournament as the No. 7 seed. Senior Brianna Burgos leads the returning group after averaging 14.4 ppg and shooting .402 from the field a year ago, helping pace an offense that ranked second in the nation at 87.5 ppg -- trailing only UConn (88.1 ppg) -- and led the NCAA in six different categories, including: three-pointers per game (12.5), steals per game (14.9 spy), and offensive rebounds (20.0 rpg).

Wed., Dec. 21 - AT SAN FRANCISCO: The Dons are coming off a season in which they claimed the West Coast Conference Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth, where they fell to Bay Area rival Stanford in the first round. USF finished the year 21-12 overall and 9-9 in the WCC, claiming the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament before producing upsets over the top three seeds in the league tournament in No. 3 San Diego, No. 2 Saint Mary's, and No. 1 BYU. The Dons lose their top two scorers from a season ago as senior guard Rachel Howard is the leading returning scorer at 11.6 ppg.

Wed., Dec. 28 - AT UCF: The Knights finished 7-23 overall and 4-14 in the American Athletic Conference a season ago, falling in overtime to SMU in the opening round of the conference tournament. Senior guard Zykira Lewis appeared in 29 of the team's 30 games last season, averaging 14.2 ppg and shooting .352 from the floor, while serving as the team's top long-range threat with 68 three-pointers made. Junior guard Aliyah Gregory was also in double figures a season ago, averaging 10.1 ppg and sharing the team lead with 80 assists. Head Coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson is in her first year at the helm of the UCF program, but is familiar with the Aggies after six seasons as head coach at Albany, a tenure that included an 80-70 win over UC Davis at the Women of Troy Classic last season.

Fri., Dec. 30 - VS. JACKSONVILLE (at the University of North Florida): The Dolphins are coming off a season in which they finished 22-11 overall and 11-3 in the Atlantic Sun Conference, finishing second in the standing after the regular season before upsetting top-seeded Florida Gulf Coast to earn its first-ever berth to the NCAA Tournament. Jacksonville, which fell to top seed South Carolina in the opening round, returns two of its top three scorers from a season ago, led by senior guards Sherranda Reddick (12.2 ppg) and Christin Mercer (10.6 ppg).

2016-17 UC DAVIS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Oct. 29 vs. Oregon Tech (Exhibition), 2:00 p.m.
Nov. 4 vs. Stanislaus State (Exhibition), 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 11 vs. Portland, 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 13 vs. Holy Names, 2:00 p.m.
Nov. 21 at Pacific, 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 23 vs. Montana State, 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 27 vs. Hofstra, 2:00 p.m.
Dec. 2 vs. San Diego State, 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 4 at Stanford, 2:00 p.m.
Dec. 11 vs. Saint Mary's, 2:00 p.m.
Dec. 14 at Oregon State, 11:00 a.m.
Dec. 18 at Sacramento State, 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 21 at San Francisco, 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 28 at Central Florida, 7:00 p.m. ET
Dec. 30 vs. Jacksonville (at North Florida), 1:00 p.m. ET
Jan. 5 at UC Irvine*, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 7 vs. Hawai'i* (DH), TBA
Jan. 12 vs. Long Beach State*, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 14 vs. CSUN*, 2:00 p.m.
Jan. 19 at Cal State Fullerton*, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 21 at Long Beach State*, 2:00 p.m.
Jan. 26 vs. UC Riverside*, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 28 vs. Cal State Fullerton* (DH), TBA
Feb. 2 at Cal Poly*, 7:00 p.m.
Feb. 4 at UC Santa Barbara*, 2:00 p.m.
Feb. 11 vs. UC Irvine* (DH), TBA
Feb. 16 at Hawai'i*, 7:00 p.m. HT
Feb. 23 vs. Cal Poly* (DH), TBA
Feb. 25 vs. UC Santa Barbara* (DH), TBA
March 2 at UC Riverside*, 7:00 p.m.
March 4 at CSUN*, 2:00 p.m.
March 7-11 at Big West Conference Tournament (Long Beach & Anaheim, Calif.)
March 17-20 at NCAA First & Second Rounds (Campus Sites of Top 16 Seeds)
March 24-27 at NCAA Regionals (Bridgeport, Conn.; Lexington, Ky.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Stockton, Calif.)
March 31 at NCAA "Final Four" (Dallas, Texas)
April 2 at NCAA Championship game (Dallas, Texas)

Dates and times subjuect to change... Schedule as of Sept. 13, 2016
* denotes Big West Conference game
(DH) denotes a doubleheader with the UC Davis men's team