Sports

Headline: Women's basketball preview

Teams: UC Davis at UC Riverside

Records: Aggies, 5-7 (1-0); Highlanders, 5-9 (1-1)

Where: Student Recreation Center Gym - Riverside, Calif.

When: Tonight at 7 p.m.

Wrestling

Sophomore Barrett Abel earned a major decision at 149 pounds and senior Tyler Bernacchi won at 174 pounds, but 13th-ranked Oklahoma State earned wins in seven of the nine contested bouts, including a technical fall, to earn a 29-7 victory over UC Davis in a collegiate wrestling dual at the Gallagher-Iba Arena Sunday afternoon.

After losing five games in a row to end December, UC Davis was reminded by coach Sandy Simpson that with Sunday came the beginning of Big West Conference play and a new season.

The team started off its new campaign and the new year in commanding fashion, downing Cal State Northridge 86-66 in its conference opener to give Simpson his 200th career victory.

Baseball

UC Davis junior Ty Kelly has been named to the Preseason All-Ping Baseball Team. Kelly, a native of Tracy, Calif., received third-team accolades as a third baseman and was one of just five third basemen to be named to the teams.

Gary Stewart had seen enough.

After the UC Davis men's basketball coach saw the Aggies give up a season-high 95 points in a loss to Loyola on Dec. 21, Stewart had a message for his team: You're not going to win games at the Division I level by trading baskets.

The conversational exchange has become an unofficial preseason tradition. Before every year, UC Davis men's basketball head coach Gary Stewart is asked by the media what his team's goals are for the upcoming season.

After playing one of its best games of the season in a 73-59 loss at home against Arizona State on Dec. 3, UC Davis began its winter break with five straight road games.

"Against Arizona State, we had one of our best performances of the year," said head coach Sandy Simpson. "We played even with them and in some parts even outplayed them."

After the Aggies upset No. 10 Northwestern at home, they took to the mat in two big national tournaments in Las Vegas and Reno over the winter break. They also hosted conference rival Portland State at home. The Aggies had an impressive showing at the Las Vegas Invite, finishing 20th out of 44 with Orozco placing fifth in his class. A week later the Aggies hosted Portland State at Hickey Gym, winning in convincing manner, 28-15.

Name: Keala Peterson

Year: Freshman

Position: Outside hitter

Hometown: Sebastopol, Calif.

Year: Senior

Position: Midfielder

Hometown: Pleasanton, Calif.

Name: John Faletoese

Year: Senior

Position: Defensive tackle

Hometown: Carmichael, Calif.

Name: Kaitlin Gregg

Year: Senior

Hometown: Davis

Name: Renee Ibekwe

Year: Senior

Position: Outside hitter

Hometown: Carson, Calif.

Name: Grant Muenter

Year: Senior

Position: Driver

The UC Davis men's soccer team held high expectations coming into the 2008 season after qualifying for the school's first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance a year earlier.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock in Ann Arbor, Mich. in UC Davis' 2-1 loss to No. 13 Michigan in the second round of the tournament, the Aggies' season came to a close with much to be proud of.