SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (14-4, 11-2 CCAA) will close out its home schedule this week, beginning the final four-game homestand with Cal Poly Pomona (13-5, 9-4 CCAA) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Cal State San Bernardino (8-10, 6-7 CCAA) on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

CSUSM Athletics will be hosting two special events this weekend with REC Night on Thursday and Student Affairs Friends and Family Basketball Tailgate for Saturday's doubleheader. 

On Thursday, the 2022-23 CSUSM men's and women's golf teams will be honored during the men's basketball halftime with a banner-raising ceremony celebrating their CCAA Championships last season.

LAST WEEKEND

• The Cougars dropped their second CCAA game of the season last Thursday, falling once again to Chico State (77-72) as Charity Gallegos finished one shy of her single-game career record with 28 points. 
• CSUSM got back into the win column two days later with a 62-56 win at Cal Poly Humboldt as Jordan Vasquez collected her CCAA-leading 11th double-double (37th career) with 13 points and 17 rebounds. 

COUGAR FACTS

• With the loss to the Wildcats, the Cougars have a two-game lead over Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona who remain tied for second place. 
• CSUSM continues to lead the CCAA in scoring defense and is 40th in Division II, holding opponents to 58.5 points per game. 
• The Cougars are the CCAA leader in free throws made per game, averaging 15.06. 
• CSUSM's 42.5 field-goal percentage ranks second in the CCAA.
• The Cougars are averaging just 16.9 fouls per game, the fourth lowest in the CCAA. 
• With a 55.6 field-goal percentage, Jordan Vasquez is the CCAA leader and ranks 23rd in the nation.  
• Vasquez is fifth in Division II (first in CCAA) in double-doubles with 11 in the 18 games. 
• Vasquez is the CCAA leader with 202 rebounds (12th in DII), 11.2 rebounds per game (6th in DII) and 7.1 defensive rebounds per game (17th in DII).
• Malia Mastora is second in the CCAA in blocks per game (1.50) and total blocks (27). 
• Charity Gallegos ranks third in the CCAA in 3-pointers per game (2.50) and total 3-pointers (45) while ranking fourth in 3-point percentage (38.5).
• In points per game, Gallegos is third and Vasquez is fifth with averages of 16.4 and 15.4, respectively. 
• Mina Tameilau ranks fifth in the CCAA with an 82.9 free throw percentage. 
• Katie FitzGerald is posting a 1.53 assist/turnover ratio, ranking her fifth in the CCAA. 

GAME 19 | CAL POLY POMONA
Date	Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024
Time	5:30 p.m.
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	The Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (14-4, 11-2 CCAA) CPP (13-5, 9-4 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network
Tickets	HomeTown Ticketing

THURSDAY AGAINST CPP

• As stated prior, Cal Poly Pomona is tied for second with Chico State and is two games back from leader CSUSM in the CCAA standings. 
• The Broncos enter Thursday's game on a four-game win streak, taking down both Cal State LA (79-76) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (80-70) at home last weekend after recording wins at Cal State Monterey Bay (65-60) and Stanislaus State (94-70) the weekend before. 
• CPP is holding its opponents to a CCAA-low 36.5 field-goal percentage. 
• The Broncos are the conference leader in steals per game, averaging 11.6 while ranking 29th in Division II. 
• Pomona is forcing its opponents to turnover an average of 20.17 per game, ranking first in the CCAA. 
• Kalaya Buggs is posting a team-high 14.0 points, 2.11 steals and 4.3 assists per game. 
• After a huge 20-8 third quarter, the Cougars walked away with a 63-45 victory over the Broncos on Jan. 13 in The Sports Center. 
• CSUSM is 8-6 in the all-time series against CPP and is 4-2 when playing in The Sports Center. 
• The Broncos were picked to finish fifth in the 2023-24 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

 

GAME 20 | CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO
Date	Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
Time	1 p.m.
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	The Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (14-4, 11-2 CCAA) CSUSB (8-10, 6-7 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network
Tickets	HomeTown Ticketing

SATURDAY MATINEE AGAINST THE COYOTES

• The Coyotes enter the week in a five-way tie for sixth place in the CCAA standings
• Last weekend, CSUSB dropped a 62-51 decision to Cal State LA before rebounding with a 74-61 victory against Cal State Dominguez Hills. 
• Prior to facing CSUSM, the Coyotes will travel to Sonoma State on Thursday. 
• CSUSB is the CCAA leader in blocked shots per game (3.9) with Mia Dufresne leading the charge with a conference-leading 29 total blocked shots and 1.61 per game. 
• The Coyotes are fourth in the conference in bench points per game, averaging 21.2. 
• Destiny Jackson is leading the CSUSB offense with 14.9 points per game, ranking seventh in the CCAA. 
• With an eight-game win streak on the line, CSUSM has a 10-3 lead in the all-time series against the Coyotes and is 3-3 when playing in The Sports Center. 
• CSUSM recorded its largest margin of victory of the NCAA Division II era (2015-present) with a 75-41 victory in San Bernardino on Jan. 11 with Jordan Vasquez having a 20-point, 15-rebound performance. 
• The Coyotes were picked to finish eighth in the 2023-24 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

   



2023-24 OUTLOOK

• CSUSM began the 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 257-148 (.635) 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 132-77 (.632).