SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The No. 16/24 Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (9-1, 6-0 CCAA) will embark on a four-game road trip this week with stops at Cal State San Bernardino (7-5, 2-4 CCAA) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Cal Poly Pomona (8-2, 5-1 CCAA) on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

LAST TIME OUT

• CSUSM closed out 2022 and began 2023 with wins over Cal State LA. 
• The Cougars took down the Golden Eagles in Los Angeles 76-70 on Dec. 19 before celebrating the New Year with a 66-65 in The Sports Center on Jan. 1. 
• Kelsey Forrester collected a season-high 22 points at CSULA after shooting 6-of-9 (66.7%) from beyond the 3-point line. 
• Mina Tameilau led the Cougars against the Golden Eagles on Jan. 1 with a season-best 20 points.  

COUGARS BY THE NUMBERS

• The Cougars begin 2023 ranked No. 16 in the WBCA Top 25 Coaches Poll with fellow CCAA opponent Cal State Dominguez Hill coming in at No. 20. 
• CSUSM has broken back into the D2SIDA Top 25 Poll at No. 24 while moving up to No. 3 in the D2SIDA West Regional Poll. 
• With their one-point victory over CSULA on Jan. 1, the Cougars extended their CCAA regular-season win streak to 23 games 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 6-0 record alongside Cal State Dominguez Hills (12-0, 6-0 CCAA). 
• CSUSM is the top ball-handling team in the CCAA, ranking 13th in turnovers per game (12.9) and 39th in assist/turnover ratio (1.09) in the nation. 
• The Cougars lead the conference in free throw percentage at 74.2% (118-of-159) and rank 65th in the nation. 
• CSUSM ranks second in scoring defense in the CCAA, holding opponents to 57.2 points per game. 
• Five Cougars are in the top 10 in the CCAA in assist/turnover ratio with Kate Carlson the conference leader at 2.88, followed by Kayden Korst at No. 3 (2.20), Charity Gallegos at No. 8 (1.56) with Katie FitzGerald and Deannah Buckner taking the No. 10 spot (1.50). 
• Kelsey Forrester is second in the conference with a 41.8 3-point field goal percentage. 
• At CSULA, Dynnah Buckner became the CSUSM career leader in games started after starting in all 90 career games she has played in after passing Alex Alvarado (2011-15). 
• Buckner is on course to joining the 1,000-point club at CSUSM with 936 to date. She will be the fifth Cougar to reach the milestone, joining Cassie Damyanovich (1,217), Akayla Hackson (1,167), Savannah Camp (1,112) and Heather Thompson (1,041). 
• With 181 3-pointers in her career at CSUSM, Forrester is nine away from tying Cassie Damyanovich (2011-14) 3-point field goal record. 

 

GAME 11 | CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO
Date	Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023
Time	5:30 p.m.
Location	San Bernardino, Calif.
Venue	The Den
Records	CSUSM (9-1, 6-0 CCAA) CSUSB (7-5, 2-4 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network

  

THURSDAY AT CSUSB

• The Coyotes are on a three-game losing streak in CCAA play with a non-conference win against Western Oregon squeezed in between. 
• After falling 91-71 at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Dec. 11, the Coyotes dropped a 51-50 heartbreaker in their CCAA home opener to Cal State East Bay. CSUSB fell 77-65 to Cal Poly Pomona on New Year's Day. 
• CSUSB opened CCAA play with a 67-38 loss at Cal Poly Pomona on Nov. 26 before racking up wins at San Francisco State (66-56) and Cal State Monterey Bay (56-52). 
• The Coyotes are in a three-way tie for eighth in the CCAA standings with San Francisco State and Cal State East Bay. 
• CSUSM has a 7-3 lead in the all-time series against CSUSB and are 4-0 when playing in San Bernardino. 
• The Cougars are on their longest win streak against the Coyotes at five games, capping it off with a 74-49 win in San Marcos on Feb. 10, 2022. 
• In their last meeting in San Bernardino on Jan. 22; 2022, CSUSM recorded its largest margin of victory of 27 points (75-48). 
• The Coyotes have the second worst turnover margin in the CCAA at -3.33.
• Destiny Jackson is the only Coyote averaging double figures with 11.8 points per game. 
• Mia Dufresne ranks fifth in the CCAA with 12 blocks this season. 
• CSUSB was picked to finish 11th in the 2022 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

GAME 12 | CAL POLY POMONA
Date	Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023
Time	1 p.m.
Location	Pomona, Calif.
Venue	Kellogg Arena
Records	CSUSM (9-1, 6-0 CCAA) CPP (8-2, 5-1 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network

  

SATURDAY MATINEE

• Prior to Saturday's game, the Broncos will host Cal State LA on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. 
• Pomona has won five of its last six games with its only CCAA loss of the season coming against Cal State Dominguez Hills, 77-64, on Dec. 8. 
• The Broncos completed their first season series sweep on Jan. 1 with a 77-65 victory over their travel partner Cal State San Bernardino. 
• CPP sits in third in the CCAA standings, behind CSUSM and Cal State Dominguez Hills. 
• CSUSM holds a slight lead in the all-time series at 6-5 against the Broncos and are 3-3 when playing in Kellogg Arena. 
• The Cougars have won their last four meetings against CPP with their largest victory coming in Pomona last season at 80-50. 
• Pomona ranks second in the CCAA in steals per game with an 11.9 average. Three Broncos rank No. 7-9 in the CCAA in steals per game – Donja Payne (2.38), Kalaya Buggs (2.10) and Ally Bates (2.00). 
• Payne leads the CCAA and ranks fifth in the nation in rebounds (12.1) and defensive rebounds (8.8) per game. 
• Bates is CPP's top scorer this season, averaging 15.7 points per game and leads the CCAA in 3-point field-goal percentage at 42% (29-of-69). 
• The Broncos were picked to finish fourth 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).