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Davis

Davis, California

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Women’s Basketball Preview

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Headline: Women’s Basketball Preview

Teams: UC Davis vs. Long Beach State

Records: Aggies, 16-8 (8-3); 49ers 11-14 (7-4)

Where: The Pavilion

When: Today at 7 p.m.

Who to watch: There are many reasons why the Aggies have been so successful this season.

One reason that cannot be ignored is the bench.

A key member of the Aggie cavalry is Samantha Meggison, whose late-game heroics helped her team earn a pivotal victory over UC Irvine on Saturday.

With the game winding down and her team in need of a big shot, Meggison drained a bucket from beyond the arc to spark the Aggies as they took a three-point lead.

“Samantha hitting that pull-up three was huge,” said coach Sandy Simpson. “She came up out of the corner, they helped on the cut and she was open.”

Did you know? Simpson remembers only once in his coaching career having to face the same team in back-to-back contests.

Back when UC Davis was in Division II, the Aggies had to play Humboldt State on the road two times in as many nights.

The result?

UC Davis won both contests and advanced to regionals.

Preview: The conference schedule can be arduous.

Unfortunately for the Aggies, it won’t be getting any easier.

After facing the 49ers in consecutive contests, the Aggies will have to play three teams in eight days before the Big West Conference Tournament begins.

“This is a rough stretch of the conference season,” said junior Heidi Heintz. “We need to be on the rise – getting better every practice and every game so that we’re peaking at the end of conference as we head into the tournament.”

The next hurdle the Aggies must clear is a feisty 49ers squad.

In its last two games, Long Beach State has knocked off first-place Cal Poly and defending conference champion UC Santa Barbara.

As a result of Long Beach State’s recent hot streak, UC Davis is well aware of the 49ers’ potential.

“They have some talent,” Simpson said. “We’ve finished our series’ with four teams and we haven’t played Long Beach [State] once. I look at it now and I wish we would have played them at least one time earlier in the year.”

– Mark Ling

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