SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The No. 16/NR Cal State San Marcos women’s basketball team (7-1, 4-0 CCAA) collected its 21st consecutive CCAA regular-season victory with a 76-46 win over Cal State Monterey Bay (3-6, 0-5 CCAA) on Saturday afternoon in The Sports Center.
TOP PERFORMERS
Kelsey Forrester – 14 points | 4 3PT | 3 rebounds
Charity Gallegos – 14 points | 4 rebounds | 4 assists
Dynnah Buckner – 11 points | 7 rebounds |
Katie FitzGerald – 9 points | 3 steals | 3 assists
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cougars came out of the gate on fire, taking a quick 15-4 lead on a FitzGerald 3-pointer at 3:27 in the first quarter.
CSUSM held a 22-12 lead following the opening quarter after shooting 42.9% (6-of-14) from the field while the Otters were just 23.5% (4-of-17).
The Cougars improved on their shooting in the second quarter, clocking in at 61.5% (8-of-13) to take a 40-25 lead into the break.
Gallegos led all scorers with 10 points in the first half.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Forrester put CSUSM up 54-38 with 1:24 remaining in the third quarter.
CSUSM’s defense held CSUMB’s best shooter Lauryn Pointer scoreless until the 6:08 mark of the fourth quarter when she made a pair of free throws to make it 61-43.
In the fourth quarter, the Cougars matched their 22 points of the first quarter while keeping the Otters to just six points.
The final bucket of the game, a 3-pointer by Tatum Tamashiro, with 42 seconds on the clock gave CSUSM’s its biggest lead of the game at 30 points (76-46).
FAST BREAKS
Saturday’s victory was Head Coach Renee Jimenez’s 100th win at the helm of the CSUSM women’s basketball team.
Passing the one year mark, the Cougars moved their conference regular-season win streak to 21 games that dates back to Dec. 9, 2021 with a 76-70 victory at Cal State Monterey Bay.
The Cougars tallied a season-best 12 3-pointers, one shy of their program record set at Cal State LA last year.
CSUSM shot a season-best 52.2% (12-of-23) from the 3-point line and 92.3% (12-of-13) from the charity stripe.
The Cougars turned in their second-highest field-goal percentage of the season at 48.1% (26-of-54) while holding their opponent to a season-low 27.6% (16-of-58).
CSUSM’s defense held the Otters to just six points in the fourth quarter, tying a season low that the Cougars achieved in the third quarter against Westminster on Nov. 25.
The Cougars led wire-to-wire for the second time this season.
Pointer went 0-of-5 from the field, collecting her only points on a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter.
The Cougars won the battle of the boards, outrebounding CSUMB 39-32 with the Otters having an edge on the offensive glass at 16-11.
CSUSM tallied 21 points off the Otters’ 14 turnovers while recording 17 points from fast breaks.
The Cougars are now 10-2 in the all-time series against the Otters and 6-0 when playing in San Marcos.
CSUSM extended its win streak over CSUMB to nine with Saturday’s victory.
.@JonathanRifkind talks defense with Head Coach Renee Jimenez follow CSUSM’s 76-46 win over CSUMB on Saturday afternoon in The Sports Center. #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/knTPyuR1Wy
– CSUSM Women’s Basketball (@CSUSM_WBB) December 11, 2022
UP NEXT
The Cougars will conclude 2022 on the road at Cal State LA on Dec. 19 at 5:30 p.m.
