STAMPEDE BACK TO THE COURT
After 59 long days, it finally happened...UC Davis played another basketball game. A nearly two month hiatus caused by COVID-19 protocol and a county shutdown forced the Aggies off the court but the preseason favorites showed little rust in their return. UCD swept conference newcomer UC San Diego at the Pavilion last week, winning both games by double figures. Prior to their return to the court last weekend, only one other DI school had played in fewer games than the Aggies. Merrimack College of the Northeast Conference had its season debut on January 23.
WOMAN IN THE MIDDLE
UC Davis’ return also brought the return of one of the top defensive players in the league in junior Sage Stobbart. Her play on the defensive end earned her a midseason honor as she was named to the Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Watch List. The center is among 15 Division I players across the country selected to the list and also one of just four players who do not play in a Power 5 league.
UNDEFEATED AT THE TOP
UC Davis isn’t the only team that finds itself undefeated in conference play. Long Beach State is currently pacing the league with a 6-0 record, while UC Irvine is between the Beach and Aggies at 4-0. The trio has a chance to extend their unblemished records this weekend as LBSU visits UC San Diego, UCI hosts Hawai’i and UCD visits UC Santa Barbara.
HIGHLANDERS KEEP ROLLING
UC Riverside upped its win streak to three thanks to a sweep of CSU Bakersfield last weekend. In all the Highlanders have won four of five which has included non-conference victories over USC and UC Irvine.
‘BOWS GET STINGY
Hawai’i took a while to get on the court and hit its stride, but it looks like the Wahine defense is in midseason form. The squad has allowed opponents to score just 51.3 point over their last four games, with each opponent scoring less than the previous one.
CONGRATS COACH GROSS
UC Davis head coach Jennifer Gross crossed a major milestone when her squad topped UC San Diego last Saturday. The victory gave Gross her 100th win in league play, making her just the seventh coach in league history to reach triple digits
Coach, Team Wins
Mark French, UC Santa Barbara (1987-08) - 264
Faith Mimnaugh, Cal Poly (1997-pres.) - 182
Jim Bolla, UNLV (1983-96) - 150
John Margaritis, UC Riverside (2004-19) - 133
Dr. Maryalyce Jeremiah, Cal State Fullerton (1985-92, 03-09) - 111
Vince Goo, Hawai’i (1987-96) - 108
Jennifer Gross, UC Davis (2011-pres.) - 100
Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Named Presenting Sponsor of Big West Basketball, Men’s Volleyball Championships
The Big West Conference is proud to announce a three-year agreement with Hawai‘i Tourism Authority as the presenting sponsor of both the Big West Men’s and Women’s Basketball, and Men’s Volleyball Championships.
As an official Corporate Partner of the Big West through 2023, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority will be able to showcase the Hawaiian Islands through a host of partnership assets across the Conference’s broadcast, print, digital and social platforms as well as in-venue signage.
“The Big West is excited to unveil this new partnership with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority,” Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly said. “Their strategic support of these premier events will have a positive impact on both the fan experience and the student-athletes who will compete for these championships.”
The Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship presented by Hawai‘i Tourism Authority will be hosted by Hawai‘i in 2021 and 2022, and UC Irvine in 2023. The 2021 Big West Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship presented by the Hawaiian Islands will be played March 9-13 in Las Vegas.
BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT MOVES TO LAS VEGAS
The Big West Conference announced it will move the 2021 Big West Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, presented by Hawai’i Tourism Authority, to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, March 9-13, 2021. Due to the cancellation of conference games during the 2020-21 schedule, all 10 men’s and nine women’s teams will compete in the 2021 championship. In prior years, only eight teams qualified for each league tournament.
All games in the Big West Basketball Championships, presented by Hawai’i Tourism Authority, will be carried on ESPN platforms. All eight women’s contests, as well as the men’s First Round and Quarterfinal games, will appear on ESPN3. The men’s basketball Semifinals and Championship game will be aired on ESPN linear networks. The Big West will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and the possibility of allowing limited crowds at the event. An official determination on attendance limits, spectator health and safety protocols, and ticket pricing will be made in the near future.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LIVES ON ESPN3
The Big West ESPN3 package features plenty of action for women’s basketball teams this season. First all home games for CSU Bakersfield, UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara will be carried on the platform. Additional regular season games could be selected through a Wild Card format in which pairings will be determined 21 days prior to each game. Dates for those Wild Cards are January 29-30, February 5, February 12-13, February 20, February 27 and March 5-6.
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. Each team will contest the schedule over an 11-week period with one bye week built in. Cancelled games will be considered no-contests but teams will be given opportunities to schedule non-conference games against league opponents.
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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