SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (0-9, 0-3 CCAA) will ring in the New Year in Northern California, traveling to Cal State East Bay (3-7, 1-3 CCAA) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. before concluding the week on Saturday at 1 p.m. at San Franacisco State (3-6, 1-3 CCAA). 

LAST TIME OUT

• The Cougars dropped a 55-51 decision at Vanguard on Tuesday, Dec. 17 with Kate Bobadilla leading CSUSM with 14 points. 
• CSUSM was set to compete against Sonoma State on Dec. 21, but travel issues for the Seawolves forced the game's postponement to a later to-be-determined date.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Cougars are pulling down the fourth-most offensive rebounds in the CCAA at 14.6. 
• CSUSM is averaging 3.4 blocks per game, ranking fourth in the conference. 
• Destiny Okonkwo ranks fourth in the CCAA with 8.8 rebounds per game and 1.33 blocked shots per game.
• Rory Hetrick is snagging 2.22 steals per game, ranking her sixth in the conference. 

NEW YEAR BEGINS AT CSUEB

• For the second time this season, the CSUEB - SF State game went into overtime with the Gators coming out on top at 80-77 to even the season series. On Nov. 30 in San Francisco, East Bay was victorious at 75-71 over the Gators.  
• East Bay is in a three-way tie for eighth place in the CCAA standings alongside Cal State San Bernardino and San Francisco State. 
• The Pioneers are third in the CCAA with 21.09 free throw attempts per game yet are second-to-last with a 59.9 free throw percentage. 
• CSUEB is pulling down the third-most rebounds per game in the CCAA at 14.8. 
• Taylor Eldredege is leading the Pioneers in scoring at 12.7 points per game while snagging the second-highest steal average at 2.64 per game. 
• CSUSM holds a 10-8 lead in the all-time series against the Pioneers. 
• The Cougars will enter Thursday's game on four-game win streak against East Bay and have won the last five meetings in Hayward. 
• The Pioneers were picked to finish seventh in the 2024-25 CCAA Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

RETURN TO THE SWAMP

• Before taking on the Cougars on Saturday, the Gators will host Sonoma State on Thursday night. 
• SF State is currently in a three-way tie for eighth place with Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State East Bay. 
• As stated above, the Gators evened the season series against CSUEB with an 80-77 overtime victory on Dec. 22. 
• The Gators have the second-highest steals per game average in the CCAA at 11.1. 
• SF State is forcing 20.67 turnovers per game, ranking second in the CCAA while averaging the lowest turnovers per game at 15.2. 
• Alexsandra Alvarado ranks fourth in the CCAA with 16.1 points per game while ranking fifth with 3.6 assists per game. 
• CSUSM is dominating the all-time series against the Gators at 12-2 and is 6-1 when playing in The Swamp. 
• The Cougars are riding a nine-game win streak over the Gators entering Saturday's game. 
• SF State was picked to finish last 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.