2015_10_31_WBK_Cover_670

Women's Basketball

Women's Basketball 2015-16 Season Tips-Off Friday Against Fresno State

Highlanders In Week One
vs. Fresno State
Friday, November 13, 4:00 pm PT
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at San Diego State
Monday, November 16, 6:30 pm PT
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Riverside, CA—The UC Riverside Women's Basketball Team tips off its 2015-16 season Friday November 13, as the Highlanders host the Fresno State Bulldogs at 4 pm PT. They then travel to San Diego State on Monday November 16 for a 6:30 pm tip against the Aztecs.

The Highlanders played two exhibition games this preseason, an 86-51 win over Cal Poly Pomona (box score/recap), and an 85-74 victory over Cal Baptist University (box score/recap).

UC Riverside returns four starters to a team that finished fifth in the Big West—17-14 overall, and 8-8 in conference—a year ago. This year's team was predicted to finish second in the Big West preseason Media poll. 

The Highlanders had two players selected to the six-player, preseason All-Conference Team in guard Brittany Crain and forward Annelise Ito.

Crain averaged 21.7 points per game last season, ranking eighth in the nation and leading the Big West. The 5-8 guard also led the conference in steals per game and minutes per game, and was third in made three-pointers.
 
Ito ranked fourth in the conference with 7.2 per boards contest, was sixth in scoring at 13.7 a game, and finished 10th in both field-goal percentage and assists per game.

The team's top newcomer is redshirt junior Réjane Verin, a transfer from UNLV. The former Runnin' Rebel won the Mountain West Freshman of the Year award, and was an honorable mention All-Mountain West pick.

Fresno State returns three starters from last year's team, which finished 23-10 overall, and 13-5 in the Mountain West conference. That team reached the second round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament.            

The Bulldogs' top returners are front court players, senior Toni Smith (8.5 points, 4.9 rebounds) and sophomore Bego Faz Davalos (5.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 blocks). Faz Davalos was an All-MW Freshman selection last year after breaking the conference's freshman block records for overall games and Mountain West games only.
                                    
The Highlanders are 1-11 all-time against Fresno State with their most recent game ending in a 73-61 loss, December 4, 2014, in Fresno. UC Riverside's lone win in the series came back on February 24, 1973 as the Highlanders topped the Bulldogs 38-23.

San Diego State returns three starters and seven letter winners from last year's squad (12-19, 8-10), including guard McKynzie Fort, who earned a spot on the Mountain West All-Freshman Team. This year's team was predicted to finish sixth in the Mountain West preseason poll.

The Aztecs have added Kylie Herd, a junior transfer from Mesa Community College, who was second-team All-America last season, and Arantxa Gómez, who brings over six years of Spanish club experience to the 2015-16 squad.

San Diego State begins the regular season Friday November 13, traveling to Long Beach State.

The Highlanders are 3-5 versus San Diego State, and won last season's December 23 match-up, 64-54, aided by Brittany Crain's 31 points.