SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The RV Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (3-2, 0-0 CCAA) will begin CCAA play this week, hosting Cal State LA (3-1, 0-0 CCAA) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Cal State Dominguez Hills (2-3, 0-0 CCAA) on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

LAST WEEK

• CSUSM defeated Saint Martin's last Friday in its home opener in The Sports Center. 
• Jordan Vasquez tallied her third double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds. 

COUGAR FACTS

• The Cougars are leading the CCAA with 4.2 blocks per game with CCAA leader Malia Mastora tallying eight in the first five games. 
• CSUSM jumped from fourth to CCAA leader in field-goal percentage this week with a 45.5 average. 
• The Cougars are averaging just 17.6 fouls per game, fourth lowest in the CCAA. 
• Mina Tameilau is one of 10 players in the nation with at least 10 attempts that remain perfect at the free throw line at 15-of-15. 
• Jordan Vasquez's 9.6 rebounds per game rank third in the CCAA.
• With three double-doubles in the first five games, Vasquez is leading the conference and ranks seventh in the nation.
• CSUSM's defense is holding its opponents to 59.8 points per game, the third lowest in the conference. 

GAME 6 | CAL STATE LA
Date	Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023
Time	5:30 p.m.
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	The Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (3-2) CSULA (3-1)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network
Tickets	HomeTown Ticketing

CCAA OPENER VS. LA

• CSULA opened its season with a 79-54 win over Seattle Pacific before falling 76-69 to host Western Washington in the WWU Veterans Day Classic. 
• The Golden Eagles followed with a pair of wins at Central Washington (90-77) and Azusa Pacific (79-75). 
• CSULA will play a total of seven games on the road before returning home on Dec. 7 to host Cal State Monterey Bay. 
• The Golden Eagles are leading NCAA Division II in free throw percentage (90.6%) at 48-of-53. 
• LA is averaging a conference-high 79.2 points per game, ranking 27th in Division II. 
• Behind CCAA 3-point single-season record holder Nicole Flennaugh, the Golden Eagles rank second in the nation with a 46.5 3-point field-goal percentage. 
• Gabriella Rones and Flennaugh are No. 1-2 in the
• CCAA in 3-point field-goal percentage, averaging 62.5% and 52.0%, respectively. 
• CSUSM has won the last 10 meetings against the Golden Eagles. 
• The Cougars are 11-5 in the all-time series against CSULA and are 6-1 when playing at home. 
• This past New Year's Day, CSUSM defeated the Golden Eagles 66-65 in San Marcos with Dynnah Buckner making both of her free throws with nine seconds remaining in the game. 
• The two teams last faced each other in the semifinals of the CCAA Tournament with the Cougars coming out on top with a 75-69 victory in Turlock. 
• Despite finishing third in the CCAA standings last year, the Golden Eagles were the favorite in the 2023-24 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

 

GAME 7 | CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS
Date	Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023
Time	4 p.m.
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	The Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (3-2) CSUDH (2-3)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network
Tickets	HomeTown Ticketing

SATURDAY AGAINST TOROS

• Before taking on the Cougars, CSUDH will travel to Sonoma State for its CCAA opener on Thursday.
• The Toros are 2-3 on the season with their two wins coming at home while the three losses were recorded on the road. 
• CSUDH also competed in the WWU Veterans Day Classic where the Toros got crushed by host Western Washington 70-47 before dropping a heartbreaking game 58-53 to Seattle Pacific. 
• The Toros' two wins came the second weekend against Concordia University Irvine (60=42) and NAIA opponent La Sierra (69-55). 
• Last weekend, CSUDH fell 82-68 at Dominican in its final tune-up before conference play begins. 
• The Toros are averaging only 15.2 fouls per game, the lowest in the CCAA. 
• CSUDH has the third-best 3-point field-goal percentage defense in the conference, holding its opponents to 26.5. 
• The Toros have the lowest-scoring offense (59.4), 3-point percentage (18.7%) and 3-pointer per game (2.8). 
• With 5.0 offensive rebounds per game, Asia Jordan is the CCAA leader and ranks eighth in the nation. 
• Malia Goldsmith has tallied 12 steals in the first five games, ranking second in the CCAA. 
• After recording five consecutive wins over the Toros from 2019 to 2022, the Cougars went 1-3 last season against CSUDH with their lone win coming in the CCAA Tournament Championship Game (74-62). 
• CSUDH was voted to finish third in the 2023-24 CCAA 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 Preseason 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 246-146 (.628) 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 ninth season at CSUSM, Jimenez has tallied a record of 121-75 (.617).