SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The No. 22 Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (0-0) will open its 2023-24 campaign at the 2023 CCAA/PacWest Challenge hosted by Cal Poly Pomona this weekend. With both games slated for 5 p.m., the Cougars will take on Point Loma (0-0) on Friday before facing No. 12 Azusa Pacific (1-1) on Saturday at Kellogg Arena. 

LAST SEASON

• CSUSM captured its first-ever CCAA Tournament Championship in 2022-23, defeating favorite and then-No. 6/4 Cal State Dominguez Hills 74-62 in the finale. 
• In their third consecutive trip to the NCAA West Regional Tournament and first as the No. 3 seed, the Cougars made it to the tournament finale. 
• CSUSM tallied its third straight season with 20 or more wins in a season with a 25-6 record. In 2019-20, the Cougars finished with a 25-5 overall record before their season was canceled due to the pandemic. CSUSM concluded its 2021-22 season with a 22-4 overall record. 
• Five Cougars were recognized on the 2022-23 All-CCAA teams with Dynnah Buckner, Kelsey Forrester and Jordan Vasquez earning first team honors, Mina Tameilau second team honors and Charity Gallegos honorable mention. 
• Averaging 21.7 points while shooting 50.0% (23-of-46) from the field and 43.8% (7-of-16) from behind the arc, Gallegos was named to the NCAA Division II All-West Region Tournament Team. She had previously been named the CCAA All-Tournament Team after putting together a 25.5 points and 4.5 assists per game and 53.7% (22-of-41) field-goal percentage performance. 

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).  

 

GAME 1 | POINT LOMA
Date	Friday, Nov. 10, 2023
Time	5 p.m.
Location	Pomona, Calif.
Venue	Kellogg Arena
Records	CSUSM (0-0) PLNU (0-0)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video	CCAA Network ($)

SEASON OPENER VS. POINT LOMA

• For the third consecutive season, the Cougars will begin their season against the Sea Lions of Point Loma.
• CSUSM has defeated the Sea Lions in its last two meetings, registering a 77-51 victory last season in The Sports Center after a 75-62 win in 2021 in San Diego. 
• The Cougars are 5-8 in the all-time series against PLNU. 
• This will be the first time the two teams will meet on a neutral floor. 
• CSUSM is on a four-game win streak against the Sea Lions, including victories in The Sports Center in 2018-19 (74-64) and 2019-20 (76-64). 
• The Sea Lions faced the University of Arizona in an exhibition game on Nov. 1 in Tucson where they fell 52-44 to the Wildcats. 
• PLNU concluded its 2022-23 campaign with a 16-14 record, falling to Azusa Pacific in the PacWest Championship Semifinals by a score of 74-65. 
• PLNU's roster features eight returners including three starters from the 2022-23 team. Three transfers – Alyssa Munn (Academy of Art), Tavia Rowell (Hawai'i Pacific) and Katie Scott (Oral Roberts) have joined the Sea Lions squad this season. 
• The Sea Lions graduated leading scorer Haylee Saurette (14.4 ppg., 7.7 rpg).  
• PLNU was voted to finish second in the 2023-24 PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll. 

    

GAME 2 | NO. 12 AZUSA PACIFIC
Date	Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023
Time	5 p.m.
Location	Pomona, Calif.
Venue	Kellogg Arena
Records	CSUSM (0-0) APU (1-1)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video	CCAA Network ($)

FRIDAY AGAINST SPU

• CSUSM will wrap up the opening weekend of action by facing No. 12 Azusa Pacific on Saturday. Prior to facing CSUSM, APU will take on host Cal Poly Pomona on Friday at 7:30 p.m. 
• This will be CSUSM's sixth time facing APU with all five previous games also being played on a neutral court. 
• CSUSM is 2-3 in the all-time series against Azusa Pacific. 
• In its last meeting, CSUSM took down APU 75-67 in the 2023 NCAA Division II West Regional Semifinal on March 11 in Carson. Exactly one year earlier, CSUSM saw it's season come to an end at the hands of APU in an 89-86 overtime loss in the 2022 NCAA West Regional Quarterfinal in Hayward. 
• APU returns all but one player that includes Paige Uyehara, the 2023 PacWest Preseason Player of the Year. 
• Azusa Pacific opened its 2023-24 campaign at the D2CCA Tipoff Classic in Lubbock, Texas, last weekend where the Cougars collected a 66-53 victory over Colorado State Pueblo before falling 70-63 to West Texas A&M. 
• Four APU players are averaging double-digits following the first two games of the season, including team-leader Amayah Kirckman (13.5). 
• After winning the PacWest Conference Regular Season and Tournament last season for the second consecutive season, APU was voted the favorite to repeat in the 2023-24 PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll. 

     

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 243-144 (.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 seven seasons at CSUSM, Jimenez has tallied a record of 118-73 (.618).