SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (1-14, 1-8 CCAA) will embark on a four-game road trip this week, traveling to Cal State Monterey Bay (3-13, 0-10 CCAA) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Stanislaus State (4-12, 3-7 CCAA) on Saturday at 1 p.m.  

LAST TIME OUT

• CSUSM went 1-1 last weekend to conclude its four-game homestand. 
• Last Thursday, the Cougars dropped a 75-61 decision against Chico State which is currently third in the CCAA standings. 
• The Cougars notched their first win of the 2024-25 season with a 70-60 victory over Cal Poly Humboldt on Saturday. 
• Saturday's win was Head Coach Jana Pearson's first win as a collegiate head coach. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Cougars are No. 3 in the CCAA with 13.9 offensive rebounds per game. 
• CSUSM is averaging 3.3 blocks per game, ranking fourth in the conference. 
• Averaging 6.7 3-pointers per game, the Cougars rank third in the CCAA.
• Destiny Okonkwo ranks second in the CCAA with 8.5 rebounds per game and fourth with 1.27 blocked shots per game.
• Rory Hetrick is snagging 2.2 steals per game, moving her from eighth to fifth in the conference this week. 

THURSDAY AT CSUMB

• The Otters are searching for their first conference win of the 2024-25 season. 
• CSUMB enter Thursday's game on a seven-game skid with its last win coming on Dec. 18 against Simpson. 
• Only one of CSUMB's wins this season have been against a NCAA Division II team  – a 63-54 victory over Fresno Pacific on Nov. 16. 
• Five of CSUMB's losses this season have been by more than 20 points. 
• The Otters are averaging the fewest fouls per game at 14.8. 
• CSUMB ranks last in the CCAA in blocks (1.6), points (55.6) and steals (6.5) per game. 
• Ella Doherty is averaging a team-best 17.5 points per game but hasn't stepped on the court since Jan. 2 against Chico State. 
• CSUSM is 13-2 in the all-time series against the Otters and has a 12-game win streak on the line. 
• The Otters were picked to finish 11th in the 2024-25 CCAA Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

SATURDAY MATINEE IN TURLOCK

• Before taking on the Cougars on Saturday, the Warriors will host Sonoma State on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. 
• Stan State enters the week ranked 10th in the CCAA standings. 
• The Warriors have lost five consecutive games, including a 78-41 loss at then-No. 19 Cal Poly last Saturday. 
• Stan State is averaging a CCAA-low 12.0 points from its bench.
• The Warriors' best statistic in the conference is their 3.4 blocks per game, which ranks third in the CCAA. 
• Talia Maxwell is averaging 16.7 points per game and has tallied the second-most blocks this season with 23, but hasn't played since Jan. 2 when Stan State faced Humboldt. 
• Two other Warriors are averaging double digits in scoring this season – Da'Myiah Lewis (15.5) and Daja Scott-Mitchell (11.3). 
• CSUSM enters Saturday's game on a six-game win streak over the Warriors.
• The Cougars are 8-6 in the all-time series against Stan State and are 3-4 when playing in Turlock. 
• Stan State was picked to finish 10th 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's first win at CSUSM came on Jan. 18 with a 70-60 victory over Cal Poly Humboldt in The Sports Center. 
• 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.