SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (7-3, 4-1 CCAA) will take to the road to begin 2024, stopping first at Stanislaus State (10-5, 5-0 CCAA) on Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. before concluding the weekend at  Cal State Monterey Bay (2-8, 0-5 CCAA) on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. 

LAST WEEKEND

• The Cougars took sole possession of second place in the CCAA standings with a 66-63 victory over Sonoma State on New Year's Eve. 
• Charity Gallegos recorded her third consecutive 20-plus point game, recording 22 points after shooting 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-7 from behind the arc. 

COUGAR FACTS

• The Cougars are the CCAA leader with 4.3 blocks per game, ranking 31st in NCAA Division II, with Malia Mastora ranking second in the conference with 18.  
• CSUSM is leading the CCAA in scoring defense while ranking 34th in the nation, holding opponents to 58.0 points per game. 
• The Cougars rank second in the CCAA with a 42.3 field-goal percentage. 
• CSUSM's defense is also holding opponents to a 37.3 field-goal percentage, ranking third in the CCAA. 
• The Cougars are averaging just 17.3 fouls per game, the fourth lowest in the CCAA. 
• With a 55.4 field-goal percentage, Jordan Vasquez is the CCAA leader and ranks 50th in the nation.  
• Vasquez is second in the CCAA and 20th in Division II in double-doubles with five in the first 10 games. 
• Vasquez's 9.9 rebounds per game and 99 rebounds both rank third in the CCAA. 
• Charity Gallegos ranks second in the CCAA in 3-point percentage (37.0) and 3-pointers per game (2.7). 
• Vasquez and Gallegos are both in the top 10 in the CCAA in points per game, averaging 15.0 (6th) and 13.9 (8th), respectively. 

GAME 11 | STANISLAUS STATE
Date	Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024
Time	5:30 p.m.
Location	Turlock, Calif.
Venue	Fitpzatrick Arena
Records	CSUSM (7-3, 4-1 CCAA) STAN (10-5, 5-0 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network

CLASH BETWEEN TOP TWO CCAA TEAMS

• With a 5-0 conference record, Stan State sits on top of the CCAA standings with a one-game lead over CSUSM. 
• The Warriors have played a wide range of teams that included a trip to Hawaii where they fell to Hawaii Pacific (66-61) and Northwestern Oklahoma State (71-61). Stan State did return from the islands with a 69-64 overtime win over then-No. 17 NAIA nationally-ranked Eastern Oregon. 
• Four of Stan State's five conference wins were decided by six points or less including a 62-61 victory at Cal State LA on Dec. 9. 
• The Warriors do not lead the CCAA in any statistical categories, but rank second in field-goal percentage at 36.7. 
• Stan State ranks second-to-last in the conference in rebound margin (-3.7). 
• The Warriors have the 10th-worsy free throw percentage in the CCAA at 65.8. 
• Stan State is averaging 3.6 blocks per game, right behind CSUSM in third place in the CCAA. 
• Taylor Pilot's CCAA-leading 33 steals rank her 22nd in Division II. 
• Mya Blake is leading the Warriors' offense with 13.5 points per game, ranking 10th in the CCAA. 
• The series between CSUSM and Stan State is tied at 6-6 with the Warriors holding a 4-2 lead when playing at Fitzpatrick Arena. 
• The Cougars swept the season series last year, tallying an 82-71 victory in San Marcos on Feb. 11 after recording a 70-59 win in Turlock on Dec. 1. 
• CSUSM has been victorious in the last four meetings against Stan State, with a win margin of 10 points or more. 
• The Warriors were picked to finish ninth in the 2023-24 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

 

GAME 12 | CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY
Date	Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024
Time	1 p.m.
Location	Seaside, Calif.
Venue	The Otter Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (7-3, 4-1 CCAA) CSUMB (2-8, 0-5 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network

SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN SEASIDE

• The Otters are in search of their first CCAA win of the 2023-24 season, sitting in last place in the standings at 0-5. 
• On New Year's Eve, CSUMB fell to CCAA leader Stanislaus State 78-73 after posting a strong second half by outscoring the Warriors 45-40. 
• In their second conference contest of the season, the Otters fell in overtime 84-76 to Cal State East Bay on Dec. 2. 
• CSUMB's two wins came against NAIA Pacific Union (102-41) on Nov. 20 and independent Lincoln University (85-65) on Dec. 17. 
• The Otters are leading the CCAA in fouls per game with 22.9. 
• CSUMB is going to the free throw line the most times in the conference, with 22.3 attempts per game while boasting the second-lowest free-throw percentage in the CCAA at 60.5. 
• The Otters are leading the CCAA in turnovers forced per game at 21.10.
• Sarah Shaw is averaging 11.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while Ciarah Michalik is posting 11.7 points per game. 
• The Cougars are 11-2 in the all-time series against the Otters and have won the last 11 meetings since moving to Division II. 
• In their last meeting, the Cougars pummeled the Otters 76-48 in Seaside on Feb. 2. 
• The Otters were picked to finish 11th 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 250-147 (.630) 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 125-76 (.622).