SAN MARCOS, Calif. – This week for Cal State San Marcos Athletics, men’s and women’s basketball will back to Northern California for a pair of California Collegiate Athletic Association contests.
The Cougars’ first stop will come at Sonoma State on Thursday. The women’s game against the Seawolves will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by the men’s game at 7:30 p.m.
From Rohnert Park, CSUSM will travel down to San Francisco State to face the Gators on Saturday. The women’s contest will start at 1 p.m., and the men’s game will get underway at 3 p.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Jan. 23 – 5:30 p.m.
RV/RV CSUSM (14-3, 9-3 CCAA) at Sonoma State (12-5, 8-4 CCAA)
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves’ Den
Live Stats | Watch Live
Saturday, Jan. 25 – 1 p.m.
CSUSM at San Francisco State (1-14, 1-11 CCAA)
San Francisco – Main Gym at Don Nasser Family Plaza
Live Stats | Watch Live
LAST WEEK •CSUSM tallied back-to-back victories at home last week to notch the Cougars’ first two CCAA series sweeps of the season.
•The Cougars registered a 74-51 victory over Cal State San Bernardino before closing out the week with a 79-63 win against Cal Poly Pomona.
•CSUSM shot a program-best 55.6% from the field in Saturday’s win, marking the fifth time this season the Cougars have shot 50% or better.
•Emma Forel was named CCAA Player of the Week after extending her double-double spree in points and rebounds to five games.
•With CSUSM’s win and Cal State East Bay’s loss at Sonoma State on Saturday, the Cougars are back in first alongside the Pioneers and UC San Diego in the CCAA standings.
•For the eighth consecutive week, the Cougars are the NCAA Division II national leader in 3-point field-goal percentage defense, holding their opponents to 22.7%. University of the Sciences moved back into second with a 23.4%
•CSUSM boasts the highest field-goal percentage in the CCAA and 56th best nationally at 43.6%.
•Stephanie Custodio is the CCAA leader and ranks No. 32 in the nation in free throw percentage, going 48-of-55 (87.3%).
•Forel leads the CCAA in field-goal percentage while ranking No. 8 nationally with 61.9% (99-of-160).
•Forel and Jon’Nae Vermillion rank third and fifth in the CCAA in rebounds per game, averaging 9.5 and 8.5, respectively.
•The duo of Forel and Vermillion each rank third in the CCAA with six double-doubles this season.
•In the latest D2SIDA West Region Poll, the Cougars are ranked No. 5.
THURSDAY AT SONOMA STATE •The Seawolves knocked off the CCAA leader Cal State East Bay on Saturday by a score of 57-54.
•Since the Cougars last saw the Seawolves on Dec. 21, SSU has gone 6-3 in CCAA action.
•SSU handed CSUSM its first loss of 2019-20, tallying a 55-49 win in The Sports Center on Dec. 5.
•The Seawolves enter Thursday’s game on a four-game win streak.
•SSU is fourth in the CCAA standings, one game out of first place and two games head of fifth-place Chico State.
•The Seawolves lead the CCAA and are 24th in the nation in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 56.6 points per game.
•SSU is also leading in the conference in defensive rebounds per game with a 27.7 average.
•Ugochi Anudokem is the CCAA leader in rebounds per game (12.1), defensive rebounds per game (8.5) and double-doubles (7).
•Kylie Kiech is second in the CCAA in free-throw percentage (86.8).
•CSUSM holds a 6-3 lead in the all-time record against the Seawolves and are 2-2 in the Wolves’ Den.
•In the CCAA standings, the Coyotes are tied for last place with San Francisco State.
SATURDAY AT SF STATE •SF State has only one victory so far this season, a 77-49 win against Cal State San Bernardino on Jan. 2.
•Six of SF State’s 13 losses were by 10 points or less.
•The Gators dropped both of their games last weekend on the road, falling 63-52 to Cal State East Bay on Thursday before dropping a 70-41 decision to Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday.
•SF State is allowing a conference-high 72.5 points per game.
•The Gators’ 19.1 turnovers per game are the highest in the CCAA.
•Kelea Pickeral-Dennis ranks fourth in the conference with 15 blocked shots.
•Samantha Erisman is third in the CCAA with 2.13 steals per game.
•CSUSM is 5-2 in the all-time series against SF State and 2-1 while facing the Gators on the road.
•The Gators are tied for last with CSUSB in the CCAA standings.
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 185-132 (.584) 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.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Jan. 23 – 7:30 p.m.
CSUSM (8-10, 4-8 CCAA) at Sonoma State (3-14, 2-10 CCAA)
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves’ Den
Live Stats | Watch Live
Saturday, Jan. 25 – 3 p.m.
CSUSM at San Francisco State (8-10, 5-7 CCAA)
San Francisco, Calif. – Main Gym at Don Nasser Family Plaza
Live Stats | Watch Live ($)
PREVIOUS WEEK •CSUSM fell at home to RV/NR Cal State San Bernardino (88-80) and No. 20/RV Cal Poly Pomona (71-70, OT) this past weekend.
•Blake Seits led CSUSM with 20.5 points per game for the weekend while making 11 3-pointers.
•Seits’ 51 3-pointers for the season rank 44th nationally and fourth in the conference.
•Khalil Fuller collected double-doubles in both games and now has seven for the season – 25th most nationally and second in the CCAA.
•Fuller leads the CCAA with 8.3 rebounds per game.
•Jayce McCain has the fifth-best assist-turnover ratio in the country at 3.81 and has tallied the 11th-most steals this season with 40.
•CSUSM is averaging 8.2 steals per game this season – 46th best in the nation and third in the CCAA.
•The Cougars are holding opponents to 42.7% from the field this season – third-best in the conference.
•CSUSM’s 2.7 blocked shots per game rank second in the league.
•With 600 career points, Fuller is five away from passing Quincy Lawson (2012-14) for the fifth-most career points in program history.
THURSDAY AT SONOMA •The Seawolves are on a 10-game losing streak as they fell 83-63 at Cal State Monterey Bay last Thursday and 80-70 at Cal State East Bay on Saturday.
•SSU’s 67-59 loss to CSUSM earlier in the season on Dec. 5 was the beginning of its 10-game skid.
•The Seawolves are all alone in last place in the CCAA standings at 2-10.
•Isaac Davidson leads SSU with 16.8 points per game – sixth best in the CCAA.
•SSU is committing the 16th-fewest personal fouls per game in the nation at 14.1.
•The Seawolves have the worst scoring offense in the league at 64.8 points per game and rank 11th for scoring defense at 76.3 points allowed per game.
•In the previous meeting, Seits posted a team-high 20 points.
•CSUSM is 5-3 in the all-time series against SSU and is 2-1 when playing the Seawolves on the road.
SATURDAY AT SF STATE •The Gators come into the week on a three-game winning streak as they defeated both Cal State East Bay (88-65) and Cal State Monterey Bay (74-72) on the road this past weekend.
•SF State is currently tied for seventh in the CCAA standings at 5-7.
•Linton Acliese leads the Gators with 16.6 points per game, a 48.5 field-goal percentage and 7.6 rebounds per game.
•SF State has the fourth-best rebounding margin in the league at 1.7.
•The Gators’ scoring offense ranks next-to-last in the CCAA at 70.7 points per game while their 71.4 points allowed per game rank sixth.
•The last time SF State and CSUSM met on Nov. 23, the game went to triple overtime in San Marcos with the Gators coming out on top 89-88.
•Darius Goudeau led all players in the previous meeting with 24 points.
•CSUSM is 2-6 in the all-time series against SF State and is 1-2 when playing the Gators on the road.
THE FOSTER FILE •Head coach B.J. Foster enters his fourth season in charge of the CSUSM Men’s Basketball program after taking over the head position in 2016.
•Under his leadership, the Cougars advanced to the CCAA Tournament for the first time in 2017-18 after finishing the season with a 15-7 conference record and a 20-9 overall record.
•Prior to becoming head coach of the Cougars, Foster was an assistant coach with the team from 2013 to 2016.
•Foster has tallied a career record of 55-48 (.534).
