GAME NOTES: Off to an impressive start, the UC Davis Aggies try to carry on their strong play as they clash with the Washington State Cougars at Beasley Coliseum on Sunday.

The Aggies, who have so often found themselves staring up at the rest of the Big West Conference, have opened the 2014-15 campaign with nine wins in 10 chances. They are off to their best start in the Division I era, with the lone setback being a 79-71 loss to Idaho on the road earlier this month.

UC Davis hasn't exactly been forced to run through a gauntlet of top-tier opponents, but still it should be pleased with how the schedule has opened up to this point. The most recent outing for the Aggies took place last Monday as they secured their third win in a row with a 73-63 victory over Northern Colorado in the second of a four-game road trip.

As for the Cougars, they check in one game under .500, even though they snapped a two-game slide with an 82-53 romp over San Jose State at home last week. The team will be seeking back-to-back wins for just the second time this season, the first time the team needed overtime in order to take down Missouri State a day after slipping by Rice by two points during the Great Alaska Shootout late last month.

This game marks the first-ever meeting between these two schools on the hardwood.

Josh Ritchart came off the bench to score 20 points and pull down seven rebounds before fouling out as he helped push the Aggies to the double-digit win at Northern Colorado. Corey Hawkins accounted for 18 points and seven more rebounds, as well as four assists, followed by Tyler Les and Josh Fox with 11 points apiece for a unit that shot 51.1 percent from the field and held the hosts to only 38.2 percent.

J.T. Adenrele, who was limited to just 14 scoreless minutes versus the Bears, did not play against Air Force eight days ago and is listed as questionable for Sunday's tilt due to a bruised leg. While Adenrele is not a primary go-to player at the offensive end of the floor for the Aggies, he does have the potential to give the program a significant lift on the glass (5.3 rpg), which is something it desperately needs. Hawkins, the leading scorer with 20.1 ppg thanks to his 31-of-62 shooting out on the perimeter, is also dealing with a sore groin.

Against San Jose State, the Cougars had very little trouble taking care of business, even with a mere 6-of-24 shooting behind the 3-point line. Washington State was led by Josh Hawkinson who converted all but five of his 17 field goal chances, finishing with a double-double consisting of 25 points and 13 rebounds. DaVonte Lacy pitched in with 14 points, Jordan Railey 12 and Dexter Kernich-Drew another 10 in the lopsided outcome.

Lacy may be just a 38.8 percent shooter from the floor, but he is still the leading scorer for the Cougars with 16.8 ppg. The other double-digit performer on the stat page is Hawkinson who not only puts up 15.5 ppg as he shoots 52.2 percent from the floor, but also pulls down a team-best 10.5 rpg which makes him one of only a handful of players in the nation averaging a double-double at the moment.

With three wins in four tries at home, clearly the Cougars hold an advantage in their own building and that should come in handy on Sunday, particularly if the Aggies are not at full strength or completely healed to the point where they can continue their strong start to the campaign.