SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The RV Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (2-2) will close out its non-conference schedule with its home opener on Friday, Nov. 24 against Saint Martin's (2-3) at 4 p.m. in The Sports Center. 

LAST WEEK

• CSUSM went 2-0 last week at Azusa Pacific's Cougar Shootout. 
• The Cougars tallied their first win of the season with a 73-68 victory over RV Western Washington last Friday night. 
• On Saturday, CSUSM concluded its season-opening four-game road trip with a 74-44 win over Seattle Pacific. 
• Charity Gallegos averaged 17.0 points, 3.5 assists and 2.50 steals per game while shooting 54.2% (13-of-24) from the 3-point line. 

COUGAR FACTS

• The Cougars are leading the CCAA with 4.0 blocks per game with CCAA leader Malia Mastora tallying seven in the first four games. 
• CSUSM is posting the fourth-best field goal percentage in the conference with a 43.4 average. 
• Mina Tameilau is one of 16 players in the nation with at least 10 attempts that remain perfect at the free throw line at 13-of-13. 
• Jordan Vasquez's 9.5 rebounds per game rank third in the CCAA. 
• CSUSM's defense is holding its opponents to 61.2 points per game, the fourth lowest in the conference. 

GAME 5 | SAINT MARTIN'S
Date	Friday, Nov. 24, 2023
Time	4 p.m.
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	The Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (2-2) SMU (2-3)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network
Tickets	HomeTown Ticketing

HOME OPENER VS. SMU

• After dropping their first three games, the Saints have won their last two contests. 
• On Tuesday, SMU defeated The Evergreen State College, an NAIA school, in the Sofie's Scoops Crosstown Classic 59-51. 
• The Saints faced two CCAA opponents last weekend in their own tournament, falling 68-50 to Sonoma State before squeezing out a 73-72 win over Chico State the following day. 
• The Cougars and Saints have only faced each other one time previously with CSUSM collecting an 83-79 double-overtime win on Dec. 18, 2016 in The Sports Center. 
• SMU is leading the GNAC in fouls per game and ranks 32nd in the nation with 14.5 per game. 
• SMU is only averaging 34.5 rebounds per game, ranking last in the GNAC. 
• Lauryn Morris has tallied two double-doubles this season in points and rebounds, averaging 9.6 points and rebounds per game. 
• Sarah Lamet is posting a team-best 15.2 points through the first five games of the season. 
• SMU was voted to finish eighth 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).