The Streakin' Aggies
UC Davis enters the week riding a three-game win streak, which includes two wins over West Coast Conference teams Saint Mary's and Santa Clara. The Aggies look to extend the streak to four when they host Sacramento State Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2:00 p.m. The three-game streak is the longest of any Big West school so far this season.
Scoring Success
The Big West Conference, as a whole, seems to be on the upswing when it comes to racking up the points this season. After four weeks of play, two Big West schools are averaging over 70 points a contest - Cal State Fullerton (70.7) and Long Beach State (70.2) and the conference has a combined scoring average of 63.8. This is an improvement on last season where the conference averaged 59.9 points per game and the highest scoring team was Cal Poly with a 65.9 scoring average.
UC Irvine's Smith-Williams Hits 32
Jade Smith-Williams scored a career-high 32 points against South Florida last week, the most by an Anteater since Dec. 1, 2006, when Angie Ned poured in 37 points versus Loyola Marymount. Smith-Williams total is also the most points scored by a Big West player this season. The guard went 9-for-20 from the field, including hitting a career-best four three-pointers and was 10-of-12 from the free throw line in 39 minutes of action. Smith-Williams currently ranks eighth in the Big West with a 13.9 average.
Valentine's Block Party
UC Santa Barbaras Mekia Valentine has registered seven blocks twice in this young season, which ranks second-best in school single-game history. The Wake Forest junior-transfer paces the Big West Conference with an impressive 5.00 blocks per game average. Valentine isn't only making a mark in the Big West Conference, she is making her presence felt nationally as well with the third-best blocking average.
Fullerton Opens Doors At Titan Gym
For the first time since defeating Biola in an exhibition contest on Nov. 7, Cal State Fullerton will play in front of their hometown fans this week, opening a string of four straight games at home and seven of its next 10 on the Titan Gym floor. The Titans began the 2009-10 season playing a six-game road trip and went 3-3 over that span.
Matadors Back At The 'Dome
After a pair of road contests in the Pacific Northwest last week, Cal State Northridge returns to the familiar confines of The Matadome for the next four contests. The Matadors are taking the upcoming week off for final exams, but return to the court Dec. 20 to host Miami (Ohio). Cal State Northridge is in search of its first home win of the season after going 0-3 at home to begin the year.
Gauchos Back On Track
The Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara opened the new year on a four-game slide, but have since won two of the last three contests. Their last win was a 59-53 victory over Oregon State, marking their first win over a Pac-10 school since Nov. 11, 2007, when the Gauchos defeated USC. The Gauchos play their next three contests at The Thunderdome, including this weeks contest versus Cal State Bakersfield (12/13).
Mimnaugh Climbing the Ranks
Cal Poly head coach Faith Mimnaugh ranks sixth all-time in the Big West coaching records with a tally of 145 overall wins since coaching in the Big West Conference. Currently in her 13th season at the helm of the Mustangs program, Mimnaugh's 145 overall wins is the highest win total of all Big West active coaches.
Mark French, UCSB (1987-08) - 438
Jim Bolla, UNLV (1983-96) - 276
Dr. Maryalyce Jeremiah, CSF (1985-92, 03-09) - 176
Vince Goo, Hawaii (1987-96) - 179
Joan Bonvicini, LBSU (1985-91) - 169
Faith Mimnaugh, CP (1997-Present) - 145
Margaritis Eyes Coaching Milestones
UC Riverside head coach John Margaritis has his sights set on two coaching milestones in 2009-10. He is currently just two wins shy of capturing his 200th career win. Along with his overall victories, he is inching his way towards his 100th win at UC Riverside with an 88-72 mark. Margaritis, averaging 17.2 wins per season over a five-year span, has the 100th win well within reach.
Long Beach State Showcases New Face At The Helm Of Its Program
Jody Wynn, who spent the last five seasons as the senior assistant, recruiting coordinator and head of scouting at USC, becomes the sixth head coach in LBSU women's basketball history. Wynn comes to LBSU with 13 years of collegiate coaching experience under her belt. While at USC, she was in charge of bringing in four nationally-ranked recruiting classes, including the No. 1-ranked group in 2006.
Foster Takes Over Reins At Fullerton
Former associate head coach Marcia Foster at Cal State Fullerton was promoted to head coach after Dr. Maryalyce Jeremiah relinquished her head coaching duties at the end of last season. Foster begins her seventh year with the Titans women's basketball program. She also spent one year as head coach at Cal Tech and six years as an assistant at Cal Poly.
LBSU's Figueroa Eclipses 1,000-Point Milestone
Playing in her first game since March 12, 2008, senior Karina Figueroa led the 49ers in their season-opening contest with a double-double, netting 23 points and dishing out a career-high tying 10 assists. Her 23-point performance assisted her in becoming the 100th Big West player to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Figueroa, redshirting last season due to injury, now has 1,129 career points, making her LBSU's 21st 1,000-point scorer.
The next closest conference player to reaching the elusive mark is Cal Polys Kristina Santiago with 813 career points. Should the junior forward reach the four-figure mark this year, she would become the fourth Mustang to do so in as few as three seasons.
Live On The Net
The Big West Conference and the CBS College Sports Network are partnering to bring you exclusive coverage of Big West sports, press conferences, interviews and features into your home via the Internet! Now in its fifth year, BigWest.TV covers every home and conference contest in womens volleyball as well as mens and womens basketball. Also covered are select contests in mens and womens soccer, baseball, softball, and Big West Conference Championships. A monthly subscription of $9.95 or an annual subscription of $79.95 delivers exclusive coverage to you. If you cant make it to the gym or the field, you can still catch all the action on BigWest.TV!