Teams: UC Davis vs. Pacific
Records: Aggies 11-6 (3-2); Tigers 9-7 (3-2)
Where: The Pavilion
When: Saturday at 2 p.m.
Who to watch: Junior Hannah Stephens did not break the assists record or score her 1,000th point as some of her teammates did recently. She has, however, provided the Aggies with the steadfast and consistent level of basketball that UC Davis needs.
Stephens drained two early threes in the game against Long Beach State, providing the spark that set the Aggies’ offense on fire in their best shooting game of the season. She finished with 10 points in the game.
But where the Aggies have struggled, Stephens has stepped up. Though she is not the tallest of players, Stephens grabbed 10 rebounds against Cal State Northridge and collected six more against the 49ers.
The San Mateo, Calif. native still ranks fourth on the team with 54 rebounds.
Did you know? In the game against Long Beach State, senior Kasey Riecks contributed to the victory with 15 points. This strong performance is one of many on the path that has led to Riecks’s 1,000 career points.
The game against the 49ers propelled Riecks to 1,006 on her career, putting her in 15th on the UC Davis all-time scoring list.
The Auburn, Calif. native is chasing another one of her fellow Aggies. Current head coach Jennifer Gross is the eighth-highest scorer in UC Davis history, having 1,143 points over her career with the Aggies from 1993-97.
Preview: UC Davis is coming off its best shooting game of the season, and Gross is optimistic that this will be a turning point for the year.
“I’m just hoping this is a jumping-off point for us,” she said.
After the Aggies’ two wins this past week, they stand at 11-6 with a 3-2 Big West Conference record. The Tigers also have a 3-2 record in the league, tied with UC Davis for fourth in the Big West.
Games between Pacific and UC Davis have developed a rivalry-type intensity over recent years.
Last year, the Aggies toppled the Tigers in a close game in Stockton. Pacific got its revenge later in the season when it upended UC Davis at the Pavilion.
“It’s become sort of a rivalry with them. We love playing them,” Gross said.
“We get to do a little preparation and we get to focus on our game,” Gross said, regarding the break until Saturday’s game.
The Aggies hold a 6-1 record at the Pavilion, while the Tigers have a 3-5 record in away games this season.
Gross likes her team’s chances and hopes the Aggies can continue to shoot well.
“With conference play you get a lot of teams who know what you do because they’ve played you a lot,” she said. “We’ll be preparing for the Tigers.”
