SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The RV Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (11-3, 8-1 CCAA) will conclude the first part of the CCAA season this week, hosting San Francisco State (3-11, 2-7 CCAA) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Cal State East Bay (6-9, 4-5 CCAA) on Saturday at 1 p.m.
LAST WEEKEND
- The Cougars went 2-0 to close out a four-game road series last weekend.
- CSUSM recorded its largest margin of victory of the NCAA Division II era (2015-present) with a 75-41 victory at Cal State San Bernardino last Thursday night.
- The Cougars ended the weekend with a 63-45 win at Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday for their fifth consecutive victory.
CCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
- Jordan Vasquez collected her fifth CCAA Player of the Week honor, second of 2023-24, after averaging 21.0 points, 16.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a 55.6 field-goal percentage (15-of-27) in victories at Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona.
- On Thursday at CSUSB, Vasquez notched her eighth double-double of the season with 20 points and 15 rebounds.
- She followed it with another double-double of 22 points and 17 rebounds in the victory at CPP on Saturday.
- With nine double-doubles this season, Vasquez is the CCAA leader and ranks fourth in Division II.
COUGAR FACTS
- The Cougars are the CCAA leader with 4.3 blocks per game, ranking 51st in NCAA Division II, with Malia Mastora leading the conference in both blocked shots per game (1.64, 39th in DII) and total blocked shots (23, 43rd in DII).
- CSUSM is leading the CCAA in scoring defense while moving to 15th in the nation, holding opponents to 55.7 points per game.
- CSUSM's defense is also holding opponents to a CCAA-leading 34.7 field-goal percentage.
- The Cougars rank second in the CCAA with a 42.9 field-goal percentage.
- The Cougars are averaging just 17.9 fouls per game, the fifth lowest in the CCAA.
- With a 54.4 field-goal percentage, Jordan Vasquez is the CCAA leader and ranks 36th in the nation.
- Vasquez is fourth in Division II (first in CCAA) in double-doubles with nine in the first 14 games.
- Vasquez's 10.9 rebounds per game average ranks first in the CCAA and 15th in the nation.
- Charity Gallegos ranks second in the CCAA in 3-point percentage (39.4) and third in 3-pointers per game (2.64).
- Vasquez and Gallegos are tied for sixth in the CCAA in points per game, both averaging 15.1.
- Mina Tameilau ranks fifth in the CCAA with an 80.8 free throw percentage.
| GAME 15 | SAN FRANCISCO STATE |
| Date |
Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 |
| Time |
5:30 p.m. |
| Location |
San Marcos, Calif. |
| Venue |
The Sports Center |
| Records |
CSUSM (11-3, 8-1 CCAA)
SFSU (3-11, 2-7 CCAA) |
| Live Stats |
SideArm Stats |
| Live Video ($) |
CCAA Network |
| Tickets |
HomeTown Ticketing |
THURSDAY VS SFSU
- With only two conference wins this season, the Gators are 11th in the CCAA standings.
- SF State wrapped up a six-game homestand last weekend where the Gators went 1-5. Their lone victory came on New Year's Eve to Cal State East Bay (68-61).
- The Gators' other CCAA win occurred on Nov. 30 at Cal State Monterey Bay (78-68).
- SF State is leading the CCAA in forced turnovers per game as their opponents are averaging 19.86 per game.
- The Gators are at the bottom of the CCAA in field-goal percentage (34.8), rebound margin (-11.9), rebounds per game (32.14), scoring margin (-11.6) and 3-point percentage defense (36.7).
- Alexsandra Alvarado is SF State's leading scorer at 16.3 points per game. She is also first in the CCAA in total free throws (76) and free throw attempts (101) while ranking 11th in free throw percentage (75.2).
- With a seven-game win streak on the line, CSUSM holds a 10-2 lead in the all-time series against San Francisco State.
- The Cougars are 5-1 when playing at home.
- CSUSM swept the season series last year, tallying a 78-59 in San Marcos before registering a 62-42 victory at SF State.
- The Gators were picked to finish last in the 2023-24 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
| GAME 16 | CAL STATE EAST BAY |
| Date |
Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024 |
| Time |
1 p.m. |
| Location |
San Marcos, Calif. |
| Venue |
The Sports Center |
| Records |
CSUSM (11-3, 8-1 CCAA)
CSUEB (6-9, 4-5 CCAA) |
| Live Stats |
SideArm Stats |
| Live Video ($) |
CCAA Network |
| Tickets |
HomeTown Ticketing |
SATURDAY MATINEE AGAINST CSUEB
- The Pioneers are tied for seventh in the CCAA standings with Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
- Prior to facing CSUSM, CSUEB will travel to Sonoma State on Thursday.
- After closing out 2023 with losses to then-No. 13 Western Washington (79-51) and San Francisco State (68-61), the Pioneers have split each weekend, recording wins on Thursday before losing on Saturday.
- Last Thursday, East Bay walked away with a 73-72 overtime victory over visiting Cal State LA.
- The Pioneers closed out the weekend with a 78-67 loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday.
- East Bay has the third-best rebound average in the CCAA, averaging 41.13 per game.
- The Pioneers are boasting the highest turnovers per game average in the conference at 21.9.
- Payton Sterk is the CCAA scoring leader at 18.0 points per game and is averaging a conference-high 36.33 minutes per game.
- Sterk is also the CCAA leader in 3-pointers per game (3.00) and 3-pointers (48).
- CSUSM evened the all-time series at 8-8 last season with a season series sweep in 2022-23, recording a 72-62 victory in San Marcos before tallying a 65-53 win in Hayward.
- The Pioneers were picked to finish seventh 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 254-147 (.633) 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 129-76 (.629).
