SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Already earning a berth in the CCAA Tournament, the Cal State San Marcos men's basketball team (15-8, 14-4 CCAA) will look to clinch a bye and one of the top two seeds as it sets out on its final road trip of the regular season to face Cal State Dominguez Hills (10-14, 6-12 CCAA) on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Cal State East Bay (9-15, 7-11 CCAA) on Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
LAST WEEK

• The Cougars started last week with a 61-51 victory over Chico State.
• CSUSM then clinched a berth in the CCAA Tournament with a dominant 85-54 win against Stanislaus State.

COUGARS BY THE NUMBERS

• Four games ahead of third-place Cal Poly Humboldt, one win by the Cougars this weekend clinch a bye at the CCAA Tournament and guarantee CSUSM is one of the top two seeds. CSUSM's first tournament game would be in the semifinals on Friday, March 3.
• On Wednesday afternoon, CSUSM was one of the 10 teams listed as under consideration for the NCAA West Regional, including Academy of Art, Azusa Pacific, Biola, Cal State San Bernardino, Hawaii Hilo, Montana State Billings, Point Loma, Saint Martin's and Seattle Pacific.
• After this past Saturday's win, CSUSM matched its home win total from last season with its 10th victory.
• The Cougars' turnover margin of 4.6 ranks 11th nationally and leads the CCAA.
• Committing just 10.5 turnovers per game, CSUSM ranks 14th in Division II and leads the conference.
• CSUSM's 39.5 3-point field-goal percentage ranks 21st nationally and second in the league.
• The Cougars' 1.35 assist/turnover ratio ranks 25th in the nation and leads the CCAA.
• CSUSM has the 28th-best scoring defense nationally and leads the conference at 65.6 points allowed per game.
• Shooting 46.7%, the Cougars have the league's second-best field-goal percentage.
• Outscoring opponents by 5.2 points per game on average, CSUSM's scoring margin is the second best in the CCAA.
• The Cougars' 8.2 steals per game rank second in the conference.
• Jayce McCain's assist/turnover ratio of 2.83 leads the CCAA and ranks 18th nationally.
• Ranking third in team history with 134 career steals, McCain is 13 away from tying Danny Redmon's program record of 147, and he's only three away from surpassing Ethan Alvano's 136.
• Joel Mensah 56.8 field-goal percentage ranks third in the CCAA while Greg Milton III's 50.0 ranks sixth.
• Milton's 17.9 points per game rank third in the conference.
• Mensah's ranks fourth in the CCAA at 7.9 rebounds per game.
• Head Coach B.J. Foster's career win total is inching closer to the century mark as he currently has 94.

 

GAME 24 | CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS
Date	Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023
Time	7:30 p.m.
Location	Carson, Calif.
Venue	Torodome
Records	CSUSM (15-8, 14-4 CCAA) CSUDH (10-14, 6-12 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network

 

THURSDAY IN CARSON

• In CSUSM and CSUDH's first meeting on Jan. 21, the Cougars overcame the Toros in overtime to earn an 85-78 victory.
• Since that loss, the Toros have gone 2-4, earning both victories this past weekend at Sonoma State (72-61) and at Cal Poly Humboldt (89-84).
• Dominguez Hills is currently last in the CCAA standings at 6-12 in conference play.
• CSUSM is currently 6-5 in the all-time series against CSUDH and is 2-2 when playing in Carson.
• This will be the Cougars' first trip to CSUDH since Dec. 31, 2018.
• CSUSM's last win in Carson occurred on Dec. 17, 2017.
• The Toros are led offensively by DJ Guest and Cameron Barry, averaging 14.3 and 14.1 points per game, respectively.
• Guest also leads the team in rebounds at 7.2 per gme.
• CSUDH's best statistical category is its 3-point defense as it holds opponents to the second-lowest percentage in the CCAA at 32.5.
• The Toros have the 10th-worst field-goal percentage in the CCAA at 41.8.

 

GAME 25 | CAL STATE EAST BAY
Date	Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023
Time	3 p.m.
Location	Hayward, Calif.
Venue	The Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (15-8, 14-4 CCAA) CSUEB (9-15, 7-11 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network

ROAD FINALE AT EAST BAY

• CSUSM and East Bay will meet for the second time this season on Saturday.
• Prior to Saturday's game, the Pioneers will face Cal State LA on Thursday.
• The Cougars beat the Pioneers by a score of 56-48 on Jan. 19 at The Sports Center.
• CSUEB split last weekend's set of games, falling 66-63 at Cal Poly Humboldt before earning a 66-55 win at Sonoma State.
• CSUSM is 10-3 in the all-time series against East Bay and is 3-3 when playing in Hayward.
• A Cougar win would give CSUSM its first season-series sweep against the Pioneers since the 2017-18 season.
• The Pioneers are currently tied for 10th in the CCAA standings at 7-11.
• Grady Lewis is East Bay's top scorer at 14.0 points per game and has the best field-goal percentage in the league at 60.8%.
• The Pioneers' 3-point field-goal percentage defense is the second best in the CCAA at 42.9%.
• East Bay has the worst scoring offense in the conference at 66.6 points per game, but its scoring defense ranks second at 70.2 points allowed per game.

  
A NEW CAMPAIGN

• The Cougars were voted to finish second in the 2022-23 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Nine Cougars return from the 2021-22 team, including All-CCAA first-teamer Jayce McCain and second-teamer Greg Milton III.
• CSUSM is joined this year by five transfers, including sophomore Quinn Denker (West Valley College), redshirt junior Edwyn Collins (Riverside City College), graduate Zack Perlstein (Cal State East Bay), redshirt junior Bing Huang (Johnson County CC) and redshirt junior Chris Howard (Palomar College).
• Rounding out the Cougars' roster of 15 is lone freshman Jermaine Rogers II (Ruben S. Ayala HS).

THE FOSTER FILE

• Head coach B.J. Foster enters his seventh season in charge of the CSUSM Men's Basketball program after taking over the head position in 2016.
• Under his leadership, the Cougars earned their first CCAA Tournament Championship in 2022 and made their first NCAA West Regional appearance.
• Prior to becoming head coach of the Cougars, Foster was an assistant coach with the team from 2013 to 2016.
• Foster has tallied a career record of 94-67 (.584).