SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (3-16, 3-10 CCAA) will return to The Sports Center this week to host San Francisco State (8-11, 6-8 CCAA) on Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. before taking on Cal State East Bay (8-12, 6-8 CCAA) on Saturday at 1 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Cougars concluded a four-game road trip with an 80-72 loss at Cal State LA and a 65-44 loss at No. 3 Cal State Dominguez Hills. 
• Tatum Tamashiro led the Cougars in both games with 21 points against the Golden Eagles and 20 points against the Toros.

BY THE NUMBERS

• CSUSM is in 11th place in the CCAA standings, 4.5 games back from Cal State LA and Cal State San Bernardino who are tied for fifth place. The top six teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the CCAA Tournament which CSUSM will be hosting on March 6-8.  
• The Cougars are averaging 3.1 blocks per game, ranking third in the conference. 
• CSUSM is No. 4 in the CCAA with 13.7 offensive rebounds per game. 
• Averaging 7.1 3-pointers per game, the Cougars rank third in the CCAA.
• Destiny Okonkwo ranks fourth in the CCAA with 1.16 blocked shots per game and fifth with 7.8 rebounds per game.
• Tatum Tamashiro is averaging 2.16 3-pointers per game, ranking her second in the CCAA. 

THURSDAY AGAINST SF STATE

• The Gators went 2-0 last weekend, pulling off a 64-63 double-overtime victory at Cal State Monterey Bay last Thursday before registering an 82-71 win at Stanislaus State. 
• SF State are tied with Cal State East Bay for seventh in the CCAA standings. 
• The Gators are forcing 20.21 turnovers per game, ranking second in the CCAA and 51st in Division II. 
• SFSU is second in the conference (32nd in the nation) with 11.3 steals per game. 
• The Gators rank last in the CCAA in rebounds per game (31.21). 
• Alexsandra Alvarado has the second-highest steals per game average at 2.89 while ranking third in points per game (15.8). 
• Earlier this season, the Cougars dropped a 71-65 decision after a slow start at SF State on Jan. 4.
• CSUSM holds a 12-3 lead in the all-time series against the Gators and is 6-1 when playing in The Sports Center. 
• SF State was picked to finish 12th in the 2024-25 CCAA Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

SATURDAY MATINEE VS CSUEB

• Prior to Saturday's game, Sonoma State will host Cal State East Bay on Thursday. 
• The Pioneers snapped a five-game skid on Saturday with a 64-61 victory at Cal State Monterey Bay. 
• As stated above, CSUEB is tied with SF State for seventh in the CCAA standings. 
• The Pioneers have the worst free throw percentage in the CCAA at 62.7% (237-of-379). 
• CSUEB also ranks last in the conference in scoring defense, as its opponents are averaging 71.4 points per game. 
• The Pioneers are third in the CCAA in turnovers forced per game at 17.95.
• Three Pioneers are averaging double digits in scoring with Taylor Eldredge leading the way at 10.8, followed by Aloha Akaka (10.5) and Ariyah Smith (10.3).
• Smith is second in the CCAA with a 35.31 minutes per game average. 
• CSUSM has a slight edge in the all-time series against the Pioneers at 10-4 and is 4-3 when playing in The Sports Center. 
• The Pioneers were picked to finish seventh 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.