SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The No. 22 Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (0-2) will conclude its season-opening four-game road trip this weekend at Azusa Pacific's Cougar Shootout at the Felix Event Center. The Cougars will face RV Western Washington (2-0) on Friday before taking on Seattle Pacific (1-1) on Saturday. Both games will tip off at 4 p.m. 

LAST WEEK

• CSUSM went 0-2 last week against two strong West Region opponents in the CCAA/PacWest Challenge. 
• The Cougars began the season with a 75-73 loss to cross-county foe Point Loma on Friday. 
• On Saturday, CSUSM battled No. 12 Azusa Pacific the first three quaters before falling 58-44. 
• Mina Tameilau is averaging a team-high 14.5 points while Jordan Vasquez is pulling down a team-best 9.0 rebounds. 

 

GAME 3 | RV WESTERN WASHINGTON
Date	Friday, Nov. 17, 2023
Time	4 p.m.
Location	Azusa, Calif.
Venue	Felix Event Center
Records	CSUSM (0-2) WWU (2-0)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video	Athletics Network

FRIDAY AGAINST WWU

• The Vikings opened their season with a 70-47 upset over No. 11 Cal State Dominguez Hills in their Veteran's Day Classic last weekend. 
• WWU followed that win with a 76-69 victory over Cal State LA the next day. 
• This will be the third consecutive season the two teams have faced each other. 
• WWU has won the previous two meetings. 
• CSUSM and WWU last met in Washington last season where the Cougars fell to the then-No. 2 Vikings 63-46. 
• In the first meeting, the Cougars fell 78-73 to the Vikings in The Sports Center during the 2021-22 season. 
• This will be the first time the two teams have met each other on a neutral court. 
• The Vikings are averaging 73.0 points per game this season, ranking second in the GNAC and 67th in the nation. 
• WWU's 35.5 defensive rebounds per game rank fourth in Division II. 
• In their first two games, the Vikings accumulated 10 blocked shots which ranks second in the nation. 
• WWU's 2022-23 leading scorer Brooke Walling is averaging 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game after recording 15 points and 10 rebounds against CSUDH and 26 points and 11 rebounds against CSULA.
• WWU was voted to finish second in the 2023-24 GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. 

    

GAME 4 | SEATTLE PACIFIC
Date	Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023
Time	4 p.m.
Location	Azusa, Calif.
Venue	Felix Event Center
Records	CSUSM (0-2) SPU (1-1)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video	Athletics Network

SATURDAY AGAINST SPU

• CSUSM is 2-0 against SPU in the all-time series. 
• The Cougars also faced the Falcons last season in Washington, taking home a 70-62 victory. 
• CSUSM hosted SPU in 2021, recording a 71-50 victory in The Sports Center. 
• This also marks the first time the two teams will meet on a neutral court. 
• The Falcons went 1-1 last weekend in the West Region Crossover Classic at Western Washington. 
• SPU fell 79-54 in its season opener to Cal State LA before taking down No. 11 Cal State Dominguez Hills 58-53. 
• The Falcons will face No. 12 Azusa Pacific on Friday before taking on the Cougars. 
• SPU has been to the free throw line a GNAC-high 24.5 times. 
• Ashley Alter is leading the Falcons' offense with 14.8 points per game. 
• SPU was picked to finish sixth in the 2023-24 GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. 

      
2023-24 OUTLOOK

• CSUSM will begin the new season ranked No. 22 in the WBCA Division II Top 25 Preseason Poll.
• The Cougars were voted to finish second in the 2023-24 CCAA Preaseason Coaches Poll. 
• Nine Cougars return from the 2022-23 team, including All-CCAA first-teamer Jordan Vasquez, second-teamer Mina Tameilau and honorable mention selection Charity Gallegos. 
• CSUSM is joined this year by four transfers, including Camille Johnson (Sonoma State), Rose Morse (UC Riverside), Ava Ranson (Montana State) and Truitt Reilly (Western Washington). 
• Closing out the Cougars' roster of 16 are freshmen Kaitlyn Beall (Dream City Christian School), Maddie Leiva (Santa Margarita Catholic HS) and Jade Ramirez (Pinewood HS).  

THE JIMENEZ FILE

• Head coach Renee Jimenez enters her ninth season in charge of the Cougar women's basketball team, a program that is only in its 13th season of existence.
• Last season, CSUSM made it deepest run as a NCAA Division II program in 2022-23 by making it all the way to the NCAA West Regional final. The Cougars won the program's first-ever CCAA Tournament Championship. 
• 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 in 2021-22. 
• 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 and followed it up with a No. 3 seed in 2022-23. 
• 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 243-146 (.625) in her 15 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 118-75 (.611).