DAVIS, Calif. — After a quick trip up to Washington last Saturday, UC Davis women's basketball returns home for their penultimate non-conference game against Chico State on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 2:00 p.m. PT.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW

Dec. 14  — vs. Chico State | ESPN+ | Listen | Live Stats | Parking Information | @ucdaviswbb (X/Instagram)

Full Game Notes

GAME NOTES

• Last Time Out: The Aggies are 7-3 on the year after winning their Big West opener against Hawai'i and dropping a road game against Gonzaga. The Aggies fell 72-83 against Gonzaga on Saturday night, getting within single-digits after going down by as much as 30 in the contest. Nya Epps produced her second straight double-digit performance with a season-high 23 points and a career-high eight rebounds, coming just two boards short of her first career double-double. Avery Sussex tied for the team lead with 23 points, also tying her career-high set earlier this season against Boise State. Ryann Bennett rounded out the double-digit scorers with 18 points, playing all but two minutes in the matchup.
• Weekly Honors: On Monday, Nov. 10, the Big West Conference announced its first weekly award for the 2025-26 season, with UC Davis guard Ryann Bennett getting the honor for the first time in her career. This honor comes after two consecutive games where Bennett scored 21 points, setting a career-high and then matching it. She's also started the season effectively in other categories, going for six assists, two blocks, and two steals on Friday against Idaho. On Dec. 1, Megan Norris became the second Aggie to be named the Big West Player of the Week, receiving the award for the second time in her career. In the team's annual rivalry game against Sacramento State on Monday, Norris served as the defensive anchor for her team, blocking three shots and stealing four more while playing a career-high 41 minutes in an overtime victory for the Aggies. In back-to-back games against Jacksonville State and Milwaukee at the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off, Norris delivered strong offensive performances, posting a season-high 19 points against the Gamecocks and 17 against the Panthers. She added 11 and 15 rebounds, respectively, securing her third and fourth double-doubles of the season. Norris's five double-doubles also tie her for third in the nation in that category.
• Best in the Big West: A month into the season, UC Davis ranks near the top of the Big West Conference in many categories, ranking second in team offense (71.8 PPG) and second in three-point percentage (.354 Pct.). The Aggies are also third in the conference with 9.8 made threes per game. Defensively, the team sits second among conference opponents with 27.8 rebounds per game. Averaging 10.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, Megan Norris sits at the top of both categories among conference opponents. Her 18.2 PPG average puts Ryann Bennett second in the conference in scoring. The Aggies also continue to be efficient from beyond the arc, putting two in the top seven in the conference for three-point field goal percentage. Sussex ranks fifth in the Big West with 42.1% from three, and Bennett is seventh at 40.7%
• Rising Through The Ranks: Making her first start of her career in the team's season-opener against Jessup, Avery Sussex has continued to make her impact felt for the Aggies, getting the first starts of her career this season while setting a number of new career-highs. Against Boise State on November 14th, Sussex got her moment in the spotlight with a career-high 23 points and five made threes on seven attempts for an unbelievable 71% from beyond the arc. These performances have elevated Sussex among her peers in the Big West Conference, currently ranking fifth with a .421 shooting percentage from three.
• The Road to 1,000 Points: Now in her fifth season with the blue and gold, Megan Norris has continued to make strides as a leader for UC Davis, leading the Aggies in many statistical categories. In the team's Big West opener against Hawai'i on December 4th, she made history by becoming just the 22nd player to score 1,000 or more points for the program.
• Double-Double Machine: In addition to her scoring prowess, Norris has continued to dominate on the glass, racking up 101 rebounds through the first ten games of the season, including a career-high 17 rebounds in the season-opener against Jessup. Performances against Jessup, Idaho, Jacksonville State, Milwaukee, and Hawai'i have given Norris a Big West best five double-doubles so far this season. Among NCAA centers, Norris is also tied for third in the country in double-doubles, sitting with the likes of Fatima Diakhate from Pitt and Katie Fiso from Oregon. Her rebounding prowess also has Norris tied for ninth in the nation with 101 boards.
• A Star In The Making: Having already been named the Big West Player of the Week earlier this season, Ryann Bennett continues to get better in her sophomore season after an All-Freshman campaign last season. In the annual Causeway Cup rivalry game against Sacramento State on Nov. 24, she willed her team to an overtime win with a new career-high of 25 points while playing over 44 minutes, also a career-high.
• Preseason Honors: After landing on the All-Big West Second Team and All-Tournament Team a season ago, redshirt senior Megan Norris was named by the conference as one of seven players to be selected to the Big West Preseason Coaches Team. In 33 games for the blue and gold last season, Norris led the Aggies with 251 rebounds, the most in a single season in school history, while also finishing first on the team with 52 blocked shots.
• A Look Back on 2024-25: 2024-25 was a year of milestones for the Aggies, seeing many career and single-season records fall across the board. Against Cal State Fullerton on February 8th, head coach Jennifer Gross made history by becoming the all-time winningest coach in program history, passing her former mentor, Sandy Simpson. A First-Team All-Big West performer, Tova Sabel made her mark in the program record book by becoming just the 21st player to ever score 1,000 career points as an Aggie. Over the summer, she also signed a professional contract with Fila San Martino Di Lupari in Italy. Long-time Aggie Mazatlan Harris also signed a pro contract during the offseason, joining McEvoy's Cavan Eagles in Ireland.
• 2024-25 Recap: UC Davis finished 21-12 last season, slotting in as the third seed in the conference tournament before losing in the championship game to UC San Diego.
• 2025-26 Poll: Aggies were picked third in the Big West preseason coaches' poll, receiving 83 votes and three first-place votes.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

• Chico State is 6-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The Wildcats are coming off a 75-69 home win over Saint Martin's on Friday night.
• Offensively, the team is led by seniors Madison Parry and Meadow Aragon, who each have over 100 points early in the season. Parry leads with 17 PPG, and Aragon is close behind with 15.3 PPG.
• Aragon also serves as the defensive leader for the Wildcats, averaging 11.5 rebounds per game. In eight games played this season, she has six double-doubles, including 20 points and 15 boards against Saint Martin's. She also has nine blocks to lead her team.
• The Aggies are 43-28 overall against the Wildcats in the all-time series, with the two teams being former Division II rivals. In the last matchup back in December of 2003, UC Davis prevailed 91-85 off of a 31-point performance from Aggie great Ellen Porshneva.

SEASON NOTES

• This season marks year 15 for UC Davis head coach Jennifer Gross. Last season, Gross made Aggie history by becoming the winningest coach in program history, passing her mentor, Sandy Simpson, with 252 wins. She currently sits at 265 wins and counting.
• Gross returns all of her coaching staff from last season, including long-time associate head coach Joe Teramoto, now in his 20th year on staff, and 15th-year assistant coach Matt Klemin.
• Also returning is former Tennessee Volunteer Vicki Baugh, who works primarily with the post players, Director of Operations Mia Gallo, and Video Coordinator Dejza James.
• Despite the departure of names such as Tova Sabel and Sydney Burns, the Aggies bring back a number of big contributors from last season, including 2025 Second-Team All-Big West player Megan Norris, All-Freshman Ryann Bennett, and All-Defense Nya Epps.
• Other returners from last season include Sahana Kanagasabay, Ally Fitzgerald, Avery Sussex, Theoni Tsami, and Victoria Baker.
• Additionally, the team has also brought in a trio of talented freshmen, Carrington Davis from Rialto, Sophie Lentfer from Anchorage, Alaska, and Emmy Ersdala from Sweden, who was also a member of the Swedish National Team.
• Transfers Tegan Young and Helen Matthews have also been brought in to strengthen an already experienced Aggie squad. Young comes in after two years at Manhattan University, and Matthews is a graduate transfer who joins the team after five seasons at Wofford.
• This is the final season for UC Davis in the Big West before the team transitions to the Mountain West in 2026-27, and the team looks to end its long tenure in the conference on a high note with a championship and another appearance in March Madness.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 

UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked #1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as #1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27. 

For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.