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Akayla Hackson
Greg Siller

Women's Basketball

CSUSM Opens 2021-22 Campaign at PLNU Before Hosting Hoops Classic

SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos women’s basketball team (0-0) will take to the court this week for the first time since competing in the CCAA Tournament on March 7, 2020. The Cougars are opening their 2021-22 campaign at Point Loma (2-0) on Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff before hosting the CSUSM Hoops Classic this weekend in The Sports Center. 

On Friday, the Cougars will face Seattle Pacific (2-0) before taking on Western Washington (1-0) in the CSUSM Homecoming Game on Saturday. Both games are slated to tipoff at 3 p.m. 

LAST TIME OUT

  • CSUSM did not play during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Tuesday's game will be the Cougars’ first since March 7, 2020.
  • CSUSM's season came to an abrupt halt on March 12 when the CCAA suspended all intercollegiate activities due to the pandemic. The Cougars were poised to make their NCAA West Regional debut in Hawai'i.
  • CSUSM was declared CCAA Regular-Season Co-Champions alongside UC San Diego after both teams finished with an 18-4 conference record.
  • The Cougars were in the midst of a historic season in 2019-20, tallying a program-high 25 wins, recording an 11-game win streak and ranking as high as No. 19 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II National Poll.
  • Four Cougars, including returner Akayla Hackson, earned All-CCAA honors in 2019-20.

COUGARS BY THE NUMBERS

  • In 2019-20, the Cougars tallied the most wins (25) and best record (25-5) in program history.
  • Hackson along with former teammate Stephanie Custodio went No. 1 and 2 in the CCAA with the highest free-throw percentages at 86.5% and 85.8%, respectively.
  • Hackson ranked second in minutes played at 1033:27, ranking her 37th in all of Division II.
  • The Cougars led the CCAA and ranked 31st in the nation with a 44.7 field-goal percentage.
  • CSUSM recorded a conference-high 435 made free throws in 2019-20.
  • The Cougars led the CCAA in scoring defense and 3-point field-goal defense, holding opponents to a 57.8 point average and 25.5 3-point field-goal percentage.
  • On the offensive side, CSUSM tallied a conference-best and ranked 19th in all of Division II with a 36.9 3-point field-goal percentage.
Kelsey Forrester
GAME 1 | POINT LOMA
DateTuesday, Nov. 16,  2021
Time7:30 p.m.
LocationSan Diego, Calif.
VenueGolden Gymnasium
RecordsCSUSM (0-0)
PLNU (2-0)
Live Stats / VideoStretch Internet
COVID-19 PolicyPlease see the Point Loma Department of Athletics' COVID-19 policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEASON OPENER AGAINST THE SEA LIONS

  • PLNU played a shortened 2020-21 season and finished with an 8-6 record.
  • The Sea Lions graduated their leading scorer Onjalise Carley-Hillard, who averaged 15.6 points per game in addition to her 6.3 rebounds per game in 2019-20.
  • Returning for PLNU is fifth-year guard Cara Liggins (14.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and senior forward Haylee Saurette (13.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg) from the shortened 2020-21 season.
  • In 2019-20, PLNU finished 18-11 overall and 14-8 in PacWest play. The Sea Lions season came to an end with a 78-76 loss to then-No. 5 Biola in the opening round of the PacWest Championships.
  • The Sea Lions opened their 2021-22 season with a pair of wins over CCAA opponents in the PacWest/CCAA Conference Challenge that they hosted in the Golden Gymnasium this past weekend.
  • PLNU recorded a dominating 85-55 win over Cal State San Bernardino last Friday before holding off a comeback from Cal Poly Pomona for a 68-60 win on Saturday.
  • LIggins registered double-digit scoring performances in both games with 12 points against CSUSB before leading the Sea Lions with 15 against CPP.
  • The Sea Lions were picked to finish third behind Azusa Pacific and Hawai'i Pacific in the 2021-22 PacWest Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll.
  • Liggins was the lone PLNU player on the PacWest Preseason All-Conference team.
  • Despite PLNU leading the all-time series at 8-3, the Cougars have won the most recent two meetings. Hosting both games in The Sports Center, CSUSM notched a 74-64 win over the Sea Lions in 2018-19 before collecting a 76-64 victory the following season.
  • The Cougars have not played at Golden Gymnasium since moving to NCAA Division II and are 1-3 on the road against PLNU.

FRIDAY AGAINST THE FALCONS

  • SPU played a shortened 2020-21 season and finished with a 7-7 record.
  • Leading scorer Ashley Alter returns for the Falcons after averaging 13.3 points per game and leading the GNAC in steals per game at 2.1. 
  • The Falcons opened the season last Friday with a 63-38 win over NAIA's Corban University before registering a 54-52 victory against Humboldt State on Saturday. 
  • Sophomore forward Beth Pettingill led the offense in both games, tallying 12 points against Corban before following up with 15 against HSU. 
  • The Falcons were picked to finish eighth in the 2021-22 GNAC Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
  • Alter was an unanimous pick to be recognized on the GNAC Preseason All-Conference Team.
  • Friday will be the first-ever meeting between CSUSM and SPU.
GAME 2 | SEATTLE PACIFIC
DateFriday, Nov. 12, 2021
Times3 p.m. 
LocationSan Marcos, Calif.
VenueThe Sports Center
RecordsCSUSM (0-0)
SPU (2-0)
Live StatsSidearm Stats
Live VideoCCAA Network
TicketsHometown Ticketing
COVID-19 PolicyMasks are to be worn at all times regardless of vaccination status.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAME 3 | WESTERN WASHINGTON
DateSaturday, Nov. 13,  2021
Time3 p.m.
LocationSan Marcos, Calif.
VenueThe Sports Center
RecordsCSUSM (0-0)
WWU (1-0)
Live StatsSidearm Stats
Live VideoCCAA Network
TicketsHometown Ticketing
COVID-19 PolicyMasks are to be worn at all times regardless of vaccination status.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SATURDAY AGAINST THE VIKINGS

  • The CSUSM Hoops Classic finale will feature CSUSM vs. Western Washington.
  • WWU also played a shortened 2020-21 season, finishing undefeated at 6-0 a pair of wins over Saint Martin's, Seattle Pacific and Central Washington.
  • The Viking graduated WBCA All-American honorable mention Anna Schwecke, who averaged 12.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2019-20.
  • WWU opened its 2020-21 campaign with a 68-56 win over HSU before collecting a 63-57 exhibition loss against NAIA's Corban.
  • The Vikings' second-leading scorer in 2019-20, Duff knocked out 22 points and 11 rebounds against HSU.
  • The Vikings were picked to finish second in the 2021-22 GNAC Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
  • Three Vikings were selected to the GNAC Preseason All-Conference Team;  Duff (unanimous), Brooke Walling (newcomer) and Dani Iwami.
  • This will be the first meeting between the Cougars and the Vikings.
  • On Friday, WWU will face Azusa Pacific in the first game of the CSUSM Hoops Classic.

COUGAR OUTLOOK

  • After sitting out the 2020-21 season, CSUSM returns seven student-athletes from the 2019-20 season in Akayla Hackson, Dynnah Buckner, Kelsey Forrester, Kayden Korst, Natalie Nicolosi, Samantha Custodio and Dominique Hernandez. 
  • Nine Cougars will be hitting the court in Cougar blue for the first time, including Division-I transfers Sydney Buckley (Winthrop), Bria Dixson (Univ. of Montana) and Shasta Parker (Univ. of Portland) as well as Division-II transfer Katie FitzGerald (Cal State Monterey Bay) and junior-college transfer Kate Carlson (N.D. State College of Science). 
  • Joining the team in 2020-21, redshirt freshmen Natalie Langford and Maitland Kingsley will finally get the opportunity to suit up for CSUSM this season while true freshman Deannah Buckner joined the roster this season.
  • As the reigning CCAA Regular Season Co-Champions, CSUSM was picked to repeat in the 2021-22 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
  • In the first D2SIDA West Region Poll, the Cougars are ranked third behind top-ranked Alaska-Anchorage and No. 2 Azusa Pacific. 

THE FOSTER FILE

  • Head coach Renee Jimenez enters her seventh season in charge of the Cougar women's basketball team, a program that is only in its tenth season of existence.
  • In 2019-20, Jimenez earned her second career CCAA Coach of the Year honor after previously earning the award as the head coach at Cal State Monterey Bay during the 2010-11 season. 
  • With Jimenez at the helm, the Cougars set many program records in 2019-20, including most wins (25) and the school's first regular-season conference title. 
  • CSUSM was poised to make its first West Regional appearance in 2019-20 before the season was ultimately cut short due to COVID-19. 
  • The Cougars have advanced to the CCAA Tournament twice, making it to the semifinals in 2018-19 followed by a finals appearance in 2019-20.
  • Jimenez has compiled a 196-134 (.594) in her 12 seasons coaching in the CCAA, spending two seasons at Cal State San Bernardino after a five-year stint at Cal State Monterey Bay.