SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The No. 15/RV Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (7-1, 4-0 CCAA) will close 2022 and open 2023 against Cal State LA (5-3, 3-1 CCAA), traveling to Los Angeles on Dec. 19 for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff before returning to The Sports Center to welcome the Golden Eagles on Jan. 1 for a 1 p.m. game. 

LAST TIME OUT

• CSUSM remained undefeated in CCAA action with a pair of victories last week in The Sports Center. 
• A 13-point scoring margin in the fourth quarter lifted the Cougars to a 78-59 win over San Francisco State on Thursday, Dec. 8. 
• The Cougars closed out the weekend with a 76-46 victory against Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday, Dec. 10. 
• Head Coach Renee Jimenez collected her 100th CSUSM victory against the school that gave her her first head coaching job, CSUMB. 
• Dynnah Buckner led CSUSM with 15.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while Kelsey Forrester chipped in 13.0 points per game. 

COUGARS BY THE NUMBERS

• The Cougars moved up a spot to No. 15 alongside Lenoir-Rhyne (9-0) in the WBCA Top 25 National Media Poll.
• CSUSM is now receiving votes in the D2SIDA Top 25 Poll while moving up to No. 5 in the D2SIDA West Regional Poll. 
• The Cougars have passed the one-year mark in extending their 21-game conference win streak that dates back to their 76-70 win at Cal State Monterey Bay on Dec. 9, 2021.
• CSUSM is on top of the CCAA standings with a 4-0 record alongside Cal State Dominguez Hills (8-0, 4-0 CCAA). 
• CSUSM is the top ball-handling team in the CCAA, ranking 10th in turnovers per game (12.1) and 24th in assist/turnover ratio (1.16) in the nation. 
• The Cougars slipped into No. 1 in 3-pointers per game (8.0) and No. 2 in 3-point percentage (33.5). 
• CSUSM is committing the second-fewest fouls in the CCAA at 15.8.
• The Cougars are the top defensive team in the CCAA and rank 19th in the nation, holding their opponents to 54.6 points per game. 
• Three Cougars are in the top 5 in the CCAA in assist/turnover ratio with Kate Carlson the conference leader at 3.17, followed by Kayden Korst at No. 3 (2.75) and Charity Gallegos at No. 5 (2.22). 
• Kelsey Forrester is second in the conference with a 39.6 3-point field goal percentage. 
• Dynnah Buckner tied the program record for most games started at CSUSM with 89 achieved by Alex Alvarado (2011-15). 
• With 74 3-pointers in her career at CSUSM, Forrester is 16 away from tying Cassie Damyanovich (2011-14) 3-point field goal record. 

 

GAME 9 | CAL STATE LA
Date	Monday, Dec. 19, 2022
Time	5:30 p.m.
Location	Los Angeles, Calif.
Venue	CSULA Gymnasium
Records	CSUSM (7-1, 4-0 CCAA) CSULA (5-3, 3-1 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network

 

GAME 10 | CAL STATE LA
Date	Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022
Time	1 p.m.
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	The Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (7-1, 4-0 CCAA) CSULA (5-3, 3-1 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network
Tickets	HomeTown Ticketing

DOUBLE DOSE OF CSULA

• Between CSUSM's two games against CSULA, the Golden Eagles will host Point Loma on Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. 
• Entering Monday's game in Los Angeles, the Golden Eagles are tied for third in the CCAA standings with Cal Poly Pomona (6-2, 3-1 CCAA). 
• The Cougars and Golden Eagles will play the 14th and 15th games in the all-time series with CSUSM leading the series 8-5. 
• CSUSM has won seven consecutive games against CSULA. 
• The Cougars are 3-4 when playing in LA and are a commanding 5-1 when facing the Golden Eagles in San Marcos. 
• CSUSM recorded its largest margin of victory in LA last season while connecting on a program-record 13 3-pointers that led to defeating the Golden Eagles by 21 points (75-54). 
• After starting the season 2-0 with wins over Concordia University Irvine (81-74) and Biola (69-49) in the CCAA/PacWest Crossover, the Golden Eagles dropped three straight to Azusa Pacific (70-93), NCAA Division I UC Riverside (52-58) and Chico State (70-74). 
• Following the loss at Chico State to open CCAA play, CSULA has recorded three consecutive victories over Stanislaus State (89-68), Cal State Monterey Bay (89-62) and San Francisco State (76-65). 
• The Golden Eagles are the CCAA leaders in blocks per game (3.4). 
• CSULA has the second worst turnovers forced per game average in the CCAA, averaging just 15.12. 
• Nicole Flennaugh is the CCAA 3-point leader with 27 this season and averages 3.38 per game (ranking her sixth in the nation). 
• Lily Buggs is leading the Golden Eagles in points (16.0) and rebounds (9.4) per game. 
• CSULA was picked to finish second in the 2022 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

CONFERENCE FAVORITE

• CSUSM was picked to finish first once again in the 2022-23 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 
• The Cougars will start the new season ranked No. 12 in the WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll and No. 18 in the D2SIDA Top 25 Media Poll. 
• Nine Cougars return for the 2022-23 season including All-CCAA first teamers Jordan Vasquez and Dynnah Buckner as well as second-team selection Kelsey Forrester. 
• CSUSM adds three transfer, including sophomore Charity Gallegos (Chico State), redshirt junior Mina Tameilau (Cal State East Bay) and redshirt sophomore Malia Mastora (Seattle Pacific). 
• Beginning their collegiate campaign in Cougar Blue this season are freshmen Tatum Tamashiro and Alina Tran. 

    

THE JIMENEZ FILE

• Head coach Renee Jimenez enters her eighth season in charge of the Cougar women's basketball team, a program that is only in its twelfth season of existence.
• In 2021-22, Jimenez earned her third career and second consecutive CCAA Coach of the Year honor. She previously earned the award as the head coach at Cal State Monterey Bay during the 2010-11 season. 
• With Jimenez at the helm, the Cougars clinched their second consecutive CCAA Regular-Season Championship
• After CSUSM's 2019-20 inaugural NCAA Division II West Regional appearance was cut short due to COVID-19, the Cougars were finally able to make their debut in the national tournament in 2021-22 as the No. 4 seed. 
• The Cougars have advanced to the CCAA Tournament three times, making it to the semifinals in 2018-19 followed by back-to-back finals appearance in 2019-20 and 2021-22.
• Jimenez has compiled a 225-139 (.618) in her 14 seasons coaching in the CCAA, spending two seasons at Cal State San Bernardino after a five-year stint at Cal State Monterey Bay.
• In her seven seasons at CSUSM, Jimenez has tallied a record of 100-68 (.595).