SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (0-13, 0-7 CCAA) will conclude its four-game homestand this week, hosting Chico State (12-2, 7-1 CCAA) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Cal Poly Humboldt (5-9, 4-4 CCAA) on Saturday at 1 p.m. in The Sports Center. 

LAST TIME OUT

• The Cougars went 0-2 last week. 
• CSUSM dropped a 92-52 decision to then-No. 3 Cal State Dominguez Hills last Thursday before falling 74-66 to Cal State LA on Saturday. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Cougars moved up to No. 2 in the CCAA with 14.2 offensive rebounds per game. 
• CSUSM is averaging 3.1 blocks per game, ranking fourth in the conference. 
• Averaging 6.2 3-pointers per game, the Cougars rank fourth in the CCAA.
• Destiny Okonkwo ranks second in the CCAA with 8.6 rebounds per game and fourth with 1.23 blocked shots per game.
• Rory Hetrick is snagging 2.08 steals per game, ranking her eighth in the conference. 

CCAA TOURNAMENT FINALE REMATCH

• The Wildcats had their eight-match win streak snapped with a 90-84 overtime loss to visiting then-No. 21 Cal Poly Pomona last Thursday. 
• Chico responded with a 94-73 victory over Cal State San Bernardino two days later. 
• The Wildcats enter the week in a tie for second place with CPP and one game back from undefeated Cal State Dominguez Hills. 
• Chico's other loss on the season was a 48-44 decision on Nov. 16 at Jessup, a school that is currently transitioning to NCAA Division II. 
• The Wildcats are boasting a CCAA-leading 36.8 3-point field-goal percentage, ranking them 11th in Division II. 
• Chico's 30.8 defensive rebounds rank ninth in the nation. 
• The Wildcats also lead the conference with a 45.5 field-goal percentage (19th in DII), 1.07 assist/turnover ratio (31st in DII), 74.7 free throw percentage (64 in DII) and 9.1 rebound margin (17 in DII). 
• Meadow Aragon's CCAA-leading 65.9 field-goal percentage ranks third in Division II. 
• Three Wildcats are ranked in the CCAA's top 10 in points per game – Makenzi Laporte ranks fifth (15.4), followed by Aragon at eighth (14.6) and Jordan Allred at ninth (13.8). 
• CSUSM is 11-6 in the all-time series against Chico and is 4-2 when playing in The Sports Center. 
• The Wildcats were picked to finish fourth in the 2024-25 CCAA Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

SATURDAY MATINEE VS HUMBOLDT

• Before taking on the Cougars on Saturday, the Jacks will play at Sonoma State on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. 
• Humboldt is currently in a three-way tie for fifth place with Cal State LA and San Francisco State. 
• The Jacks went 1-1 last weekend at home, defeating CSUSB 76-67 on Thursday before falling to then-No. 21 CPP. 
• Humboldt is leading the CCAA in free throws made per game (16.29) and free throw attempts per game (22.5) while posting the third-best free throw percentage (72.4). 
• The Jacks are recording the worst bench points per game average in the CCAA at 12.5. 
• Breanne Ha is the CCAA 3-point leader in both per game (2.36) and percentage (36.7)
• CSUSM enters Saturday's game on a seven-game win streak over the Jacks.
• The Cougars are 11-5 in the all-time series against Humboldt and are 5-1 when playing against the Jacks in The Sports Center. 
• Humboldt was picked to finish ninth in the 2024-25 CCAA Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

  
2024-25 OUTLOOK

• First-year head coach Jana Pearson takes over the reins of the CSUSM women's basketball program following a three-year stint as an assistant at Westmont. 
• The Cougars return six from last season's roster, including Kaitlyn Beall, Camille Johnson, Maddie Leiva, Rose Morse, Jade Ramirez and Tatum Tamashiro. 
• CSUSM has seven newcomers for 2024-25, including transfers Kate Bobadilla, Rory Hetrick, Lucca Lowenberg, Destiny Okonkwo, Lyric Richardson and Kacie Slover while welcoming true freshman Maria Grobushin. 
• The Cougars' 30-game slate includes two exhibition games, one at San Diego State and one at home against UC Riverside to go along with 12 home games and 16 road games in the regular season.
• CSUSM will host the CCAA Championships for the second time in program history. In 2016, the Cougars welcomed both the men's and women's conference tournaments in The Sports Center despite not being able to compete due to competing in their final year of the NCAA Division II transition. 

THE PEARSON FILE

• Jana Pearson became CSUSM's fourth coach in program history on June 20, 2024. 
• Pearson came to CSUSM from Westmont where she was the Warriors' assistant coach beginning in July 2021. 
• Prior to Westmont, Pearson was the assistant coach at the University of Northern Colorado from July 2018 through June 2021. Pearson served as the post player coach that included the 2020-21 Big Sky Conference Player of the Year. 
• In four seasons at Vanguard, Pearson served as acting head coach in 40 games and helped the Lions to a 101-25 record with four NAIA National Tournament appearances that culminated in two Sweet 16s and one Final Four.
• Pearson worked at Freed-Hardeman University in Tennessee in her first full-time assistant coaching position from August 2010 to June 2014.
• In her 14 years as an assistant coach, Pearson diligently recruited and coached four national players of the year, 18 All-Americans and over 80 scholar-athletes.
• Pearson earned her bachelor's degree in Mathematics in December of 2007 from Harding University, where she was a member of the Harding women's basketball team for four years. While serving as a graduate assistant, Pearson graduated with a Master of Science degree in Counseling in 2010.