BIG WEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKLY RELASE NO. 2
TITANS, AGGIES, ANTEATERS TAKE ON WEEK 2
Three teams that played in the season-opening week return to action again for week 2.
Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis will both play in their home arenas this week as the Titans host UNLV Wednesday and the Aggies play Fresno Pacific Sunday. Meanwhile the Anteaters will hit the road for the first time this season, heading up to Los Angeles to take on Loyola Marymount.
ROADRUNNERS GRAB BIG WIN
CSU Bakersfield began its membership in the Big West with a bang, defeating California on the road, 60-52. The win marked the fourth over a PAC-12 team for the program, with two of those victories coming under current head coach Greg McCall. The win also marked the fifth straight season that the Big West had picked up a road win over a PAC-12 team:
2020-21 - CSU Bakersfield 60, at California 52
2019-20 - Hawai’i 62, at Washington 50
2018-19 - UC Davis 75, at Washington State 62
2017-18 - Long Beach State 80, at Arizona 72
2017-18 - Hawai’i 65, at Arizona 60
2016-17 - UC Davis 72, at Utah 62
THE BOOK ON AMIEE
Cal State Fullerton lost its season-opening matchup to UCLA but junior Amiee Book picked up right where she left off last season. Book hit four threes on the way to a team-best 20 points to go along with three rebounds in 36 minutes. It marked the seventh time in her career that Book has hit at least four three-pointers in a game and also the seventh 20-point showing for her in a Titan uniform.
BALANCE THAT BOX
UC Davis’ season-opening win against San Francisco showed off the balance the starting five can deliver. All five starters scored in double figures ranging from 10 points to 19 points. The first unit also saw everyone connect on at least three field goals, four of the five connecting on at least one three-pointer and four of the five draining at least three free throws. The Aggie starting five was also on the floor a majority of the game as all five recorded at least 33 minutes of action.
RANKINGS FEATURE UC DAVIS
UC Davis is projected to be among the top mid-major programs in the country according to the College Insider Mid-Major poll. The squad is ranked No. 18 in the preseason list, appearing in the poll on the same day as their season-opening win over San Francisco. UCD’s preseason ranking is a jump from the final poll ranking a year ago which saw the club finish 2019-20 in the No. 25 position. It marked the first time the program had finished in the rankings since the record-setting 2018-19 squad finished at No. 20.
FAMILY ADDITIONS
The Big West welcomes CSU Bakersfield and UC San Diego to the membership ledger, bringing the total number of conference institutions to 11 – 5 CSU schools, 5 UC schools and the University of Hawai‘i.
CSU Bakersfield joins the league after spending the last seven years in the Western Athletic Conference. Roadrunner head coach Greg McCall enters his 10th season on the sidelines coming off a 16-win campaign that included a 12-4 record at home. CSUB accompanies fellow Cal State system institutions Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN and Long Beach State in the conference.
UC San Diego makes its Big West debut after a highly successful tenure at the Division II level. Heidi VanDerveer enters her ninth season as head coach, having won 163 games since taking the reins in 2012. UCSB has been especially successful of late, having won 83 games over the last three seasons including a 30-win campaign in 2018-19. The Tritons join fellow UC schools in UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara.
Having started a four-year NCAA-mandated reclassfication period from Division II to Division I, the Tritons are not eligible for Big West or NCAA postseason events.
SCHEDULING SCORECARD
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has reached near and afar, including the structure of the 2020-21 women’s basketball Big West schedule.
Utilizing a modified format that will reduce travel and emphasize the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and staff, institutions will play a total of 18 Big West games, but not in the traditional home-and-home round-robin format. Teams will play the same opponent on consecutive days at one site, with the majority of games taking place on Friday and Saturday. The lone exception is week one of league play, which will take place on Sunday, December 27 and Monday, December 28. Each team will contest the schedule over an 11-week period with one bye week built in.
CSUN OPTS OUT OF 2020-21
Due to players voluntarily electing to opt out of competition, the CSUN women’s basketball team will not participate in the 2020-21 season. The Matadors began preseason camp with 12 players on the roster. A 13th student-athlete could not enter the country due to travel constraints. As preseason workouts unfolded, six CSUN players elected to opt-out citing COVID-19 concerns, leaving the team with only six players available for action.
This decision was made in conjunction with the women’s basketball student-athletes, who offered their thoughts in a statement.
“As a team, we came to the difficult decision that we will not compete this year. Since there are only six of us and the physical health concerns from the wear and tear of a full season with back-to-back competition, we are prioritizing our health and safety during this global pandemic. We love the game and we are competitors. We will use this time to focus and prepare mentally and physically to compete at a high level and full capacity for the 2021-22 season.”
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