Records: UC San Diego is 21-4 overall and 11-2 in Big West Conference play; UC Davis is 15-10, 9-5.
Series history: UC Davis leads 23-7 and is 5-2 since UCSD joined Division I. The teams play again at Davis on March 8.
Tritons update: They have won six straight games, including Thursday's 73-54 win at Cal State Bakersfield, and remain tied for first place with UC Irvine. The Tritons are ranked seventh in the latest Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, have a conference-best NCAA NET ranking of 45 and a conference-high Kenpom ranking of 45. Senior wing Anawaniwa Tait-Jones scored 20 points in the win at Bakersfield, his 15th game of 20 or more points on the season. He is a candidate for Big West Player of the Year honors. Coach Eric Olen typically plays only eight players, but with junior forward Nordin Kapic out against Bakersfield with an injury, senior forward Maximo Milovic started and sophomore guard Cade Pendleton came off the bench. Pendleton drained a career-high four 3-pointers in the win. The Tritons have made 16 3-pointers in consecutive games and 15 or more in six games on the season. UCSD is celebrating "Black Excellence" on Saturday in honor of Black History Month.
Aggies update: They have won three straight including a 75-74 home win over UC Riverside. Davis is in fifth place in the Big West, one slot out of a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Senior guard Ty Johnson leads the Big West in scoring at 21.7 points per game, just ahead of Tait-Jones (20 ppg).