SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The Cal State San Marcos women's basketball team (6-3, 3-1 CCAA) will host Sonoma State (8-3, 3-1 CCAA) on New Year's Eve at 1 p.m. in The Sports Center. 

Prior to tipoff, the Cougars will unveil their 2022-23 CCAA Tournament Championship banner in The Sports Center. 

PREVIOUS WEEKEND OF PLAY

• The Cougars went 1-1 in their second weekend of conference play
• CSUSM shut down Cal Poly Humboldt, 57-43, on Dec. 7. 
• The Cougars dropped a 70-65 decision to Chico State on Dec. 9. 
• Charity Gallegos posted back-to-back 20 points in the contests. 

COUGAR FACTS

• The Cougars are the CCAA leader with 4.1 blocks per game, ranking 40th in NCAA Division II, with Malia Mastora ranking second in the conference with 15.  
• CSUSM is leading the CCAA in scoring defense while ranking 31st in the nation, holding opponents to 57.4 points per game. 
• The Cougars rank second in the CCAA with a 42.2 field-goal percentage. 
• CSUSM's defense is also holding opponents to a 37.5 field-goal percentage, ranking third in the CCAA. 
• The Cougars are averaging just 17.4 fouls per game, the fourth lowest in the CCAA. 
• Mina Tameilau ranks second in the CCAA in free throw percentage at 85.2% (23-of-27). 
• With a 54.7 field-goal percentage, Jordan Vasquez is the CCAA leader and ranks 38th in the nation.  
• Vasquez is second in the CCAA and 20th in Division II in double-doubles with five in the first nine games. 
• Vasquez's 10.2 rebounds per game and 92 rebounds both rank second in the CCAA. 
• Vasquez and Charity Gallegos are both in the top 10 in the CCAA in points per game, averaging 14.7 (7th) and 14.2 (9th), respectively. 

CLOSING OUT 2023 AGAINST SONOMA

• Sonoma State and CSUSM are both tied for second place in the CCAA standings, one game behind conference leader Stanislaus State (9-5, 4-0 CCAA). 
• The Seawolves opened CCAA play with an 83-77 overtime victory against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Nov. 30. 
• SSU followed that win with a 79-60 loss to Cal State LA on Dec. 2. 
• In their second weekend of conference play, the Seawolves went 2-0 with wins over Chico State (56-52) and Cal Poly Humboldt (64-54). 
• Prior to the holiday break, SSU hosted Simon Fraser twice with an 85-80 win before falling 75-72 the next day. 
• The Seawolves are leading the CCAA while having the seventh-highest assist/turnover ratio in Division II at 1.23. 
• SSU is dishing out a CCAA-best 17.3 assists per game, ranking 13th in the nation. 
• The Seawolves are also leading the conference in two other categories – free throws made per game (14.73) and fewest turnovers per game (14.1). 
• Alli McDonald, the CCAA Player of the Week for Dec. 14-19, is the CCAA leader in rebounds (129), rebounds per game (11.7) and double-doubles (6). 
• McDonald is leading the Seawolves in points (17.6) and rebounds (11.7) per game. 
• CSUSM leads the all-time series over SSU at 10-5 and are 6-2 when playing on home court. 
• Last season, the Cougars split their series with the Seawolves with the visiting team victorious. The Cougars recorded a 62-50 victory on Jan. 12 before falling in their regular-season finale, 67-59. 
• The Seawolves were picked to finish sixth in the 2023-24 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

 

   
2023-24 OUTLOOK

• CSUSM will begin the new season ranked No. 22 in the WBCA Division II Top 25 Preseason Poll.
• The Cougars were voted to finish second in the 2023-24 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 
• Nine Cougars return from the 2022-23 team, including All-CCAA first-teamer Jordan Vasquez, second-teamer Mina Tameilau and honorable mention selection Charity Gallegos. 
• CSUSM is joined this year by four transfers, including Camille Johnson (Sonoma State), Rose Morse (UC Riverside), Ava Ranson (Montana State) and Truitt Reilly (Western Washington). 
• Closing out the Cougars' roster of 16 are freshmen Kaitlyn Beall (Dream City Christian School), Maddie Leiva (Santa Margarita Catholic HS) and Jade Ramirez (Pinewood HS).  

THE JIMENEZ FILE

• Head coach Renee Jimenez enters her ninth season in charge of the Cougar women's basketball team, a program that is only in its 13th season of existence.
• Last season, CSUSM made it deepest run as a NCAA Division II program in 2022-23 by making it all the way to the NCAA West Regional final. The Cougars won the program's first-ever CCAA Tournament Championship. 
• In 2021-22, Jimenez earned her third career and second consecutive CCAA Coach of the Year honor. She previously earned the award as the head coach at Cal State Monterey Bay during the 2010-11 season. With Jimenez at the helm, the Cougars clinched their second consecutive CCAA Regular-Season Championship in 2021-22. 
• After CSUSM's 2019-20 inaugural NCAA Division II West Regional appearance was cut short due to COVID-19, the Cougars were finally able to make their debut in the national tournament in 2021-22 as the No. 4 seed and followed it up with a No. 3 seed in 2022-23. 
• The Cougars have advanced to the CCAA Tournament three times, making it to the semifinals in 2018-19 followed by back-to-back finals appearance in 2019-20 and 2021-22.
• Jimenez has compiled a 249-147 (.629) in her 15 seasons coaching in the CCAA, spending two seasons at Cal State San Bernardino after a five-year stint at Cal State Monterey Bay.
• In her ninth season at CSUSM, Jimenez has tallied a record of 124-76 (.620).