SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The women’s basketball team is the lone team competing this week for Cal State San Marcos Athletics, hosting Concordia Irvine on Saturday, Dec. 14 in Cougars’ final nonconference game of the season.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Dec. 14 – 7 p.m.
RV/17 CSUSM (7-1, 3-1 CCAA) vs. Concordia Irvine (3-2, 1-0)
San Marcos, Calif. – The Sports Center
LAST WEEK •CSUSM dropped its first game of the 2019-20 season, falling 55-49 to Sonoma State last Thursday.
•The previous week, Jon’Nae Vermillion was named CCAA Player of the Week after averaging 13.1 points and 10.0 rebounds in the 2019 Malika Sports Oahu Thanksgiving Classic.
•The Cougars remain the NCAA Division II national leader in 3-point field goal percentage defense, holding their opponents to 18.2%. Second-place Henderson State is averaging 20.9.
•Akayla Hackson is leading the conference (28th in the nation) in minutes played per game at 35.96.
•Stephanie Custodio is the CCAA leader and ranks No. 5 in the nation in free throw percentage, going 20-of-21 (95.2%).
•Jon’Nae Vermillion’s 9.5 rebounds per game rank second in the league and 42nd in the nation while her three double-doubles rank second in the conference and 46th nationally.
•In the latest D2SIDA West Region Poll, the Cougars are tied for third with Azusa Pacific.
FINAL 2019 HOME GAME AGAINST CONCORDIA IRVINE •The Cougars and Eagles are tied at 2-2 in the all-time series.
•CSUSM looks to break the curse on Saturday as the visiting team has been the one victorious in the previous four meetings.
•CUI’s first four games were against CCAA opponents with the Eagles collecting wins over Cal State Dominguez Hills (83-75) and Cal State LA (57-48) at the CCAA/PacWest Challenge before falling to Humboldt State (67-56) and Cal Poly Pomona (68-52).
•The Eagles cruised to a 72-42 victory over Hawai’i Hilo in their conference opener last Saturday in Irvine.
•Three Eagles are averaging double digits in scoring with Jasmine Rachal leading the way at 18.0 ppg, followed by Michaela VanderKlugt (14.0) and Katie Timmerman (13.0).
•CUI leads the PacWest Conference in 3-point field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 27.1%.
•CUI was picked to finish sixth in the PacWest Preseason Poll.
THE JIMENEZ FILE •Head coach Renee Jimenez enters her fifth season in charge of the Cougar women’s basketball team, a program that is only in its eighth season of existence.
•Jimenez has compiled a 178-130 (.578) in her 12 seasons coaching in the CCAA, spending two seasons at Cal State San Bernardino after a five-year stint at Cal State Monterey Bay.
