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DAVIS, Calif. \u2014 With non-conference play in the rearview mirror, UC Davis women’s basketball returns to Big West conference play in a pair of road games. The Aggies begin against CSUN on Thursday, Jan. 1 at 6:00 p.m. PT before wrapping up against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 2:00 p.m. PT.<\/p>\n
HOW TO WATCH\/LISTEN\/FOLLOW<\/p>\n
Jan. 1\u00a0 \u2014 at CSUN | ESPN+<\/a> | Listen<\/a> | Live Stats<\/a> | @ucdaviswbb (X\/Instagram)\u2028 Full Game Notes<\/a><\/p>\n GAME NOTES
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS<\/p>\n
SEASON NOTES<\/p>\n
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:\u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u201327.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nJan. 3\u00a0 \u2014 at Cal State Bakersfield | ESPN+<\/a> | Listen<\/a> | Live Stats<\/a> | @ucdaviswbb (X\/Instagram)\u2028<\/p>\n
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\n\tLast Time Out: The Aggies are 8-4 on the year following a 47-57 loss to Northern Colorado on Dec. 20. Ryann Bennett<\/a> and Avery Sussex<\/a> each tied for the team lead in points with 13. Sussex went for double-digit points for the third straight game this season, while Bennett has had double-digits in all 12 contests this season. Bennett also paced the team with four assists. Megan Norris<\/a> was the defensive leader with 11 rebounds.
\n\tWeekly 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<\/a> 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<\/a> 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.
\n\tBest in the Big West: UC Davis ranks near the top of the Big West Conference in many categories, ranking fourth in team offense (69.9 PPG) and third in three point percentage (.342 Pct.), the Aggies are also second in the conference with 9.8 made threes per game. Defensively, the team sits first among conference opponents with 28.9 rebounds per game. Averaging 10.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, Megan Norris<\/a> sits at the top of both categories among conference opponents. Her 17.3 PPG average puts Ryann Bennett<\/a> sixth 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 sixth in the conference at 40.3% and Bennett is seventh at 37.5%.
\n\tRising Through The Ranks: Making her first start of her career in the team’s season-opener against Jessup, Avery Sussex<\/a> 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 sixth with a .403 shooting percentage from three.
\n\tThe Road to 1,000 Points: Now in her fifth season with the blue and gold, Megan Norris<\/a> 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.
\n\tDouble-Double Machine: In addition to her scoring prowess, Norris has continued to dominante on the glass, racking up 125 rebounds through the first 12 games of the season, including a career-high 17 rebounds in the season-opener against Jessup. Performances against Jessup, Idaho, Jacksonville State, Milwaukee, Ha- wai’i, and Chico State have given Norris a Big West best six double-dou- bles so far this season. Among NCAA centers, Norris is also tied for fifth in the country in dou- ble-doubles, sitting with the likes of Fatima Diakhate from Pitt and Katie Fiso from Oregon. Her rebounding prowess also sits Norris tied for 19th in the nation with 125 boards.
\n\tFirst Career Double-Double: Against Chico State on Dec. 14, Avery Sussex<\/a> set a new career milestone by securing her first collegiate double-double, scoring 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. The mark was also significant as Sussex grabbed all 12 boards on the defensive side of the court, showing her strong presence on both aspects of the game.
\n\tCardiac Ags’: Down by as much as 14 in the Aggies’ Big West opener against Hawai’i on Dec. 4, the team stormed back to take the win on their home court, going on a 21-2 run in the final five minutes to snatch victory from the hands of defeat. Two days later, in a road matchup with Gonzaga, Davis was tested again when they found themselves down by as much as 30 in Spokane. In the second half, despite a loss, they battled all the way to the end, getting as close as seven in the fourth quarter.
\n\tA Look Back At Non-Conference Play: Ending the non-conference season with a 7-4 record, the Aggies found themselves at the receiving end of many team and individual accolades. In the teams opener against Jessup, Megan Norris<\/a> set a career-high 17 rebounds while passing 100 blocks in her career. Her 17 boards also set a single game Divison I record for UC Davis. Playing Sac State in overtime for just the fourth time in rivarly history, the Aggies emerged victorious over the Hornets for the eighth time in the last nine contests. Ryann Bennett<\/a> and Megan Norris<\/a> each received Big West POTW honors.
\n\tA Star In The Making: Having already been named the Big West Player of the Week earlier this season, Ryann Bennett<\/a> 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.
\n\tPreseason Honors: After landing on the All-Big West Second Team and All-Tournament Team a season ago, redshirt senior Megan Norris<\/a> 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.
\n\tA 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<\/a> 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<\/a> 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<\/a> also signed a pro contract during the offseason, joining McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles in Ireland.
\n\t2024-25 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.
\n\t2025-26 Poll: Aggies were picked third in the Big West preseason coaches’ poll, receiving 83 votes and three first-place votes.
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\n\tCSUN is 5-6 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. The Matadors fell in a road matchup with Pepperdine in their last game on Dec. 20.
\n\tTransfer guard Rita Nazario has been an offensive threat for the Matadors, averaging nearly 14 points per game while shooting 44% from both the field and the three point line.
\n\tAt 32.1 bench points per game, CSUN is eighth in the nation in that category. Morgan Edwards serves as the leader of the second unit with 7.2 points per game.
\n\tCSUN also leads the Big West in rebounds per game at 43.3 per contest.
\n\tUC Davis is 35-16 all-time against CSUN, winning the last 12 contests between the two teams.
\n\tCal State Bakersfield currently sits at 5-7 overall and 0-2 in the Big West. The Roadrunners will take a New Year’s Day trip to UC Irvine before hosting the Aggies.
\n\tGuard Chrishawn Coleman has been the top offensive weapon for CSUB, ranking third in the Big West at 17.8 points per game.
\n\tCenter Tena Ikidi has served as a dual threat player all season, averaging 8 points on the offensive end and 8.7 rebounds defensively.
\n\tThe Aggies are 9-10 all-time against the Roadrunners, winning the last six contests.
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\n\tThis season marks year 15 for UC Davis head coach Jennifer Gross<\/a>. 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 266 wins and counting.
\n\tGross returns all of her coaching staff from last season, including long-time associate head coach Joe Teramoto<\/a>, now in his 20th year on staff, and 15th-year assistant coach Matt Klemin<\/a>.
\n\tAlso returning is former Tennessee Volunteer Vicki Baugh<\/a>, who works primarily with the post players, Director of Operations Mia Gallo<\/a>, and Director of Administration Dejza James<\/a>.
\n\tDespite the departure of names such as Tova Sabel<\/a> and Sydney Burns<\/a>, the Aggies bring back a number of big contributors from last season, including 2025 Second-Team All-Big West player Megan Norris<\/a>, All-Freshman Ryann Bennett<\/a>, and All-Defense Nya Epps<\/a>.
\n\tOther returners from last season include Sahana Kanagasabay<\/a>, Ally Fitzgerald<\/a>, Avery Sussex<\/a>, Theoni Tsami<\/a>, and Victoria Baker<\/a>.
\n\tAdditionally, the team has also brought in a trio of talented freshmen, Carrington Davis<\/a> from Rialto, Sophie Lentfer<\/a> from Anchorage, Alaska, and Emmy Ersdala<\/a> from Sweden, who was also a member of the Swedish National Team.
\n\tTransfers Tegan Young<\/a> and Helen Matthews<\/a> 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.
\n\tThis 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.
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