Teams: UC Davis vs. Humboldt State
Records: Aggies 0-0 (0-0); Lumberjacks 0-0 (0-0)
Where: The Pavilion — Davis, Calif.
When: Friday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
Who to Watch:
As UC Davis heads into the 2013-14 season, the bulk of the production load will be placed on junior forward Sydnee Fipps. Fipps — who won first team All-Big West honors last year — will need to continue her growth in order for the Aggies to have continued success this year.
The junior will be expected to provide more than scoring — though her impressive 17.1 points per game average led the team last year — as her rebounding and leadership qualities will prove vital in the quest for a Big West title.
Fipps, as a junior, is one of only four upperclassmen on the team. Her leadership on the court will be necessary especially at the end of close games.
Fipps’ rebounding abilities, as evidenced by her team-high 5.1 rebounds per game, is crucial as the Aggies struggled on the boards last season. The Aggies finished last in the Big West in rebound margin, getting outrebounded by an average of 8.4 rebounds a game.
All in all, Sydnee Fipps is going to be the catalyst for any run which UC Davis has this season. Her scoring, rebounding and leadership are all needed for success against Humboldt State as well as the tough Big West conference.
Did you know?:
Sydnee Fipps was nominated for preseason all-conference honors. This was due to her outstanding performance in her sophomore campaign. She scored a total of 512 points on the season, which broke the UC Davis record for sophomore season point totals. Fipps also led the Aggies in scoring 21 out of the 30 games last season.
Preview:
As the Aggies begin their 2013-14 basketball season, there are many questions which the team needs to answer. Who is going to replace recent graduates Courtney French and Blair Shinoda in the starting lineup? Who is going to help Sydnee Fipps shoulder the scoring load?
These questions hopefully will be answered over the next few games. One person who possibly could step up and produce right away is sophomore Molly Greubel.
Greubel was a key player off the bench for the Aggies last season. She averaged 6.3 points per game, which was third on the team, only behind Fipps and French. With French graduated and gone, Greubel is the second-leading scorer of all UC Davis’ returning players.
The Aggies will definitely need her to have a more proactive role in scoring this year if they are to have any success. Her season average of 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game shows that she is willing to work hard on both sides of the floor.
UC Davis’ home and season opener will be against the Humboldt State Lumberjacks. The Lumberjacks went 10-18 last season which included an ugly 3-9 away record. This opening matchup will be just as much of a test run for Humboldt State as it will be for UC Davis.
The Lumberjacks only have two of their five leading scorers from last season returning. Seniors Kelly Kime and Elle Anderson averaged 8.7 and 6.9 points a game respectively. They will be asked to do a lot more against the Aggies in order for Humboldt State to succeed.
The Aggies tip off their season on Friday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. The game will be held at the Pavilion.
— Kenneth Ling
