OPENING TIP

• Utah Valley opens the 2018-19 season at home against UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday at 11 a.m. MT in the UCCU Center.
• The Wolverines return two starters from last season's 11-19 team in juniors Jordan Holland and Gabrielle Leos.
• UVU has seven newcomers & returning redshirts, including five true freshmen. 
• The first six games will all be home contests for UVU. The first road game won't be until Dec. 1 at Utah, and the Wolverines will travel no further than Pocatello, Idaho during their pre-Christmas schedule.
• Utah Valley will have to replace its top two scorers in graduated seniors Taylor Christensen and Mariah Seals. The two combined to average 28.4 points as well as Christensen's 5.2 rebounds and Seals' 4.7 assists per game. 

ABOUT THE GAUCHOS
UC Santa Barbara finished 12-17 last year, going 9-7 in Big West Conference play. The Gauchos were picked seventh by both the coaches and media in the preseason polls. UCSB returns junior Coco Miller, who missed last season due to injury. Miller averaged 9.1 points and connected on 58 3-pointers during her sophomore campaign in 2016-17. Sophomore Danae Miller is the only returning starter for the Gauchos. 

SERIES HISTORY
Tuesday will the first meeting between the two programs in Orem. UCSB defeated the Wolverines in the only prior meeting on, 86-58, on Jan. 1, 2007 in Santa Barbara.

UP NEXT
The season opener begins a busy week with three games in five days for Utah Valley. On Thursday, the Wolverines host the University of La Verne in the UCCU Center at 6 p.m MT. On Saturday, the University of Portland will be in town for a 3 p.m. MT tip in a game that will be played in Lockhart Arena.