SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (0-8, 0-3 CCAA) will wrap up 2024 this week, traveling to Costa Mesa to face Vanguard (4-4, 3-0 PacWest) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. before ending the week against Sonoma State (4-5, 2-1 CCAA)on Saturday at 1 p.m. in The Sports Center. 

PREVIOUS OUTINGS

• The Cougars went 0-2 to open CCAA play at home in The Sports Center the first week of December. 
• Despite a strong start, CSUSM dropped a 77-64 decision to then-No. 25 Cal Poly Pomona on Dec. 5. 
• Two days later, the Cougars fell 54-40 against Cal State San Bernardino. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Cougars are boasting a 73.3 (81-of-107) free-throw percentage, ranking third in the conference.
• CSUSM is tallying 3.5 blocks per game, ranking fourth in the conference.
• The Cougars are averaging the fourth-fewest fouls per game at 16.0. 
• CSUSM is pulling down 14.0 offensive rebounds per game, ranking fourth in the CCAA. 
• Destiny Okonkwo ranks third in the CCAA with 8.6 rebounds per game and 12 blocked shots.
• Rory Hetrick is snagging 2.25 steals per game, ranking her fourth in the conference. 

FINAL NON-CONFERENCE GAME

• The Cougars are 0-9 in the all-time series against Vanguard. 
• The last time these two teams met was in CSUSM's final year of transitioning to NCAA Division II. 
• Vanguard is in its second year of transitioning to NCAA Division II and is slated to become a full-fledged member in 2026-27 season. 
• The Lions started the season 0-4 with losses to Simon Fraser (71-77), Montana State Billings (48-68), Central Washington (66-70) and Northwest Nazarene (53-56). 
• Vanguard turned it around and is currently on a four-game win streak with a win over Westcliff (70-59) before starting conference play with victories over Academy of Art (75-61), Menlo (68-60) and Biola (54-39). 
• The Lions are holding opponents to 61.3 points per game, ranking third in the PacWest. 
• Vanguard is boasting the third-best free throw percentage in the conference at 74.6. 
• With a 9.9 steals per game average, the Lions rank third in the PacWest. 
• Vanguard was picked to finish seventh in the 2024-25 PacWest Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

SATURDAY MATINEE VS SSU

• CSUSM is 12-6 in the all-time series against SSU. 
• The Cougars dropped a heartbreaker to Sonoma State in Rohnert Park on Nov. 30, falling 58-55. The game consisted of 15 lead changes with six coming in the third quarter as SSU finished with leading for 21:08 of the game to CSUSM's 13:11. 
• Since playing CSUSM, the Seawolves defeated Cal State San Bernardino 57-51 on Dec. 5 before dropping a 57-50 decision to then-No. 25 Cal Poly Pomona on Dec. 7.
• The Seawolves are averaging a conference-high 22.56 trips to the free throw line per game but are recording the fifth-best free-throw percentage in the CCAA at 71.4 (113-of-165).
• SSU is holding opponents to the lowest field-goal percentage (34.1%) and second-lowest 3-point field-goal percentage (25.3%) in the CCAA. 
• On the offensive side, the Seawolves have the lowest field-goal percentage (32.0%) and 3-point field-goal percentage (19.9%) in the conference. 
• Jayme Blackard has gone to the free-throw line a conference-high 42 times in nine games while pulling down the second-most rebounds per game at 40.89. 
• SSU was picked to finish fifth 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.