SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The No. 18/RV Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (20-4, 17-3 CCAA) will play its final regular-season games at home this week by hosting Cal Poly Humboldt (9-15, 7-13 CCAA) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. before ending with Sonoma State (15-11, 12-8 CCAA) on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

Prior to Saturday's game, CSUSM will honor seniors Dynnah Buckner, Kate Carlson, Kelsey Forrester and Shasta Parker. 

LAST WEEK

• CSUSM saw its six-game win streak come to an end last Thursday as the Cougars dropped a 68-58 decision at No. 9/5 Cal State Dominguez.
• The Cougars bounced back with a 64-53 victory at Cal State East Bay on Saturday to clinch the No. 2 spot in the CCAA Tournament and earn a bye to the semifinals. 

COUGARS BY THE NUMBERS

• CSUSM dropped to No. 18 in the latest WBCA Top 25 Poll and continues to receive votes in the D2SIDA Top 25 Poll
• This is the third consecutive season that CSUSM has tallied 20 or more wins in a season. In 2019-20, the Cougars finished with a 25-5 overall record before their season was canceled due to the pandemic, and last season, they finished with a 22-4 overall record. 
• CSUSM is the top ball-handling team in the CCAA, ranking 45th in turnovers per game (14.1) and 59th in assist/turnover ratio (0.94) in the nation. 
• The Cougars remain in the top spot in the CCAA in free throw percentage at 76.9% (342-of-445) while ranking 24th in Division II.
• CSUSM moved into the No. 1 spot in the CCAA in 3-point field-goal percentage this week with a 34.2%.
• The Cougars are second in the conference in scoring defense, holding opponents to 58.9 points per game. 
• The Cougars rank second in the CCAA with a 41.8 field-goal percentage while Cal State Dominguez Hills leads the conference with a 42.3%. 
• Kate Carlson and Charity Gallegos are ranked No. 2-3 in the CCAA in assist/turnover ratio at 1.91 and 1.80, respectively. 
• Kelsey Forrester is the CCAA 3-point field-goal percentage leader at 44.0%, ranking No. 11 in the nation. 
• Dynnah Buckner ranks second in the CCAA with a 81.7 free throw percentage and third with 89 made free throws.
• Forrester has accumulated 226 career 3-pointers and is now chasing newly crowned CCAA 3-point leader Nicole Flennaugh of Cal State LA who has 246.  

 

GAME 25 | CAL POLY HUMBOLDT
Date	Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023
Time	5:30 p.m.
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	The Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (20-4, 17-3 CCAA) HUM (9-15, 7-13 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network
Tickets	HomeTown Ticketing

  

THURSDAY AGAINST HUMBOLDT

• In CSUSM and Humboldt's first meeting on Jan. 14, the Cougars pulled off a 70-68 victory in Arcata. 
• Since that loss, the Jacks have gone 3-7 and have been knocked out of CCAA Tournament contention.
• Humboldt is currently ninth in the CCAA standings. 
• The Cougars own an 8-5 lead in the all-time series against the Jacks and are 3-2 when playing at home. 
• The last time CSUSM faced the Jacks in The Sports Center was on Feb. 1, 2020 when the Cougars notched an 81-70 victory over Humboldt. 
• The Jacks enter Thursday game on a five-game losing streak with a 79-66 loss at Chico on Feb. 4 before falling in four consecutive games at home. 
• Humboldt ranks last in the CCAA in free throws made and attempted at 10.46 and 14.29, respectively. 
• The Jacks are leading the CCAA in 3-pointer per game, averaging 8.0. 
• Madison Parry ranks second in the conference with 16.6 points per game and third with 8.4 rebounds per game. 
• Devon Lewis is the CCAA assist leader with 132 assists and 5.5 assists per game. 
• Humboldt was picked to finish seventh in the 2022 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

 

GAME 26 | SONOMA STATE
Date	Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023
Time	1 p.m.
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	The Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (20-4, 17-3 CCAA) SSU (15-11, 12-8 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network
Tickets	HomeTown Ticketing

  

SENIOR DAY VS. SONOMA STATE

• CSUSM and SSU will meet for the second time this year on Saturday after Cal State LA hosts the Seawolves on Thursday. 
• The Cougars defeated the Seawolves 62-50 on Jan. 12 as Dynnah Buckner led all scorers with 23 points. 
• Sonoma has earned a berth to the CCAA tournament and will be the No. 3-6 seed, all depending on the final two games of the season. 
• The Seawolves are on a three-game win streak, collecting wins over Cal State East Bay (67-65, OT), Cal Poly Pomona (69-62) and Cal State San Bernardino (59-56). 
• CSUSM is 10-4 in the all-time series against the Seawolves and are 6-1 when playing at home. 
• The Cougars have won the last four meetings against Sonoma. 
• CSUSM's largest margin of victory over the Seawolves came on Jan. 3 when the Cougars recorded a 72-54 win in The Sports Center. 
• The Seawolves are leading the CCAA in field-goal percentage defense (35.6) and scoring defense (58.8). 
• Sonoma is averaging the lowest attempts on 3-pointers per game in the conference at 16.6. 
• Ali McDonald is posting the best free-throw percentage in the CCAA with 89.7% (70-of-78) while leading the Seawolves in points (14.3) and rebounds (8.4) per game. 
• The Seawolves were picked to finish 10th in the 2022 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

CONFERENCE FAVORITE

• CSUSM was picked to finish first once again in the 2022-23 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 
• The Cougars will start the new season ranked No. 12 in the WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll and No. 18 in the D2SIDA Top 25 Media Poll. 
• Nine Cougars return for the 2022-23 season including All-CCAA first teamers Jordan Vasquez and Dynnah Buckner as well as second-team selection Kelsey Forrester. 
• CSUSM adds three transfer, including sophomore Charity Gallegos (Chico State), redshirt junior Mina Tameilau (Cal State East Bay) and redshirt sophomore Malia Mastora (Seattle Pacific). 
• Beginning their collegiate campaign in Cougar Blue this season are freshmen Tatum Tamashiro and Alina Tran. 

    

THE JIMENEZ FILE

• Head coach Renee Jimenez enters her eighth season in charge of the Cougar women's basketball team, a program that is only in its twelfth season of existence.
• 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
• 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. 
• 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 238-142 (.626) in her 14 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 113-71 (.626).