FULL NOTEBOOK VS. CAL POLY POMONA IN PDF FORMAT


SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team welcomes Cal Poly Pomona to The Kelp Bed for a key CCAA showdown Friday (Feb. 10). The game begins a five-game homestand for the Otters, who are making their final push towards CCAA and NCAA Tournament bids.

Fans who can't make it to campus for the games can follow all of the action online at www.OtterAthletics.com. Kevin Richardson and Patrick Kelley will call the action live from courtside.

CANNED FOOD DRIVE: The CSUMB Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is conducting a canned food drive Feb. 6-12 in conjunction with a conference wide drive by the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Collection points include this weekend's men's and women's basketball games. For more information, CLICK HERE.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS: After dropping two consecutive games, the Broncos have responded by winning their last three entering Friday's game in The Kelp Bed. Center Megan Ford and forward Sarah Semenero top the Bronco stat sheet, averaging 14.2 and 12.4 points per game respectively. Ford also leads the CCAA at 9.7 rebounds per game.

WHEN LAST WE MET: The 2011 CCAA Champion (CSUMB) and 2011 CCAA Tournament Champion (CPP) played an instant classic in the first meeting this season, with the Otters taking a 51–48 decision in Kellogg Gym on Jan. 7. Shonetta Crain-Williams (Oakland/El Cerrito HS) posted a 12–point, 14–rebound double–double for the Otters while Megan Ford went for 14 and 13 for the Broncos. The turning point came when Stefanie Corgel (Manhattan Beach/UCSB/Marlborough HS) drained three–pointers on consecutive possessions to cap an 8–0 run, turning a 42–38 CPP lead into a 46–44 Otter lead in the final lead change of the night.

THE MAGIC NUMBER: Depending on other results from around the league, with a pair of wins this weekend the Otters could reduce their magic number to clinch a top four seed and a first round home game in the CCAA Championship Tournament to a low as one. With two wins, the highest the Otter magic number can be is three.

ABOUT LAST WEEK: The Otters did the splits for the fourth consecutive weekend as cold shooting continued to make the road difficult. CSUMB shot just 37 percent from the floor and 27 percent from beyond the arc while squeezing out a 54–50 win at Sonoma State Thursday night. Saturday night, the Otters shot a season–low 27 percent from the field (including just 25 percent from long range) in a 65–51 upset at Humboldt State. Stefanie Corgel scored 13 at Humboldt in the only Otter double figure performance of the weekend.

Cal Poly Pomona, meanwhile swept a pair of games, including a respectable 83–74 win at Chico State and an expected 92–51 win at Cal State Stanislaus.

FRONTRUNNERS: As has been noted in this space throughout the season, the Otters have been lethal when winning at the half, but they've also done a great job putting teams away early. The Jan. 13 win at Cal State San Bernardino marked the sixth time this season that the Otters never trailed en route to a victory.

20–POINT POWER: Brittani Jefferson's 22–point game at Cal State East Bay was the sixth 20–point game of the season by the Otters. Four different Otters have reached that plateau this season. Jefferson has done it twice, including a 21–point night vs. Simpson. Erika Ward (22 vs. Colorado State–Pueblo), Stefanie Corgel (20 vs. Cal State L.A.) and Brandi Stephens (22 vs. Humboldt State; 25 vs. Sonoma State) account for the other four.

20–POINT POWER, PART II: The above statistic stands out a bit more when you consider that the Otters posted just three 20–point games during last season's 27–4 CCAA Championship run. All three of those games belonged to Julie Heurung.

HIGH (TWENTY) FIVE: Brandi Stephens' 25–point effort against Sonoma State made her just the fifth player in CSUMB women's basketball history to score 25 points in a game. The only Otters to score more were Dana Andrews (who did it eight times, including a school–record 41 points against Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2008) and Alma Lopez (who dropped 33 on SFSU in 2008). The other 25–point scorers were Julie Heurung (vs. Cal State Stanislaus on Feb. 25, 2011) and Helen Suarez (at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Jan. 9, 2009).

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME The Otters are, no doubt, looking forward to starting a five–game homestand this weekend after playing nine of their last 11 on the road. CSUMB is shooting 44 points better at home (.413) than on the road (.369). They also shoot 40 points better from beyond the arc (.321 vs. .281) and 39 points better from the stripe (.706 vs. .667).

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME, PART II: The Otters have had tremendous success in The Kelp Bed during the Renee Jimenez era. The Otters are on a 17–2 home streak and are 17–2 in their last 19 CCAA games at home.

'TIS THE SEASON OF NOT GIVING: While not quite on its record setting pace which led all of NCAA Division II last season, the Otter defense has not been in the giving spirit this season. The Otters have held 13 of their first 19 opponents to 60 or fewer points.

DOUBLE–DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE: By posting 18 points and 11 rebounds Jan. 20 at San Bernardino, Brittani Jefferson recorded her third double–double in four games. She is one of three Otters to post a double–double this season The trio of Jefferson, Shonetta Crain-Williams and Holly Holcomb already have combined for five double–doubles. Last season, only two Otters posted double–doubles in the regular season: Julie Heurung (3 times) and Holcomb (once).

WHY PLAY 40 MINUTES? Second halves have become all but irrelevant when the Otters lead at intermission under Renee Jimenez. CSUMB has won 52 of its last 53 regular season games in which it has led at halftime. In fact, under Jimenez, the Otters have a 58–3 all–time regular season record when leading at intermission. Humboldt State broke the Otters' 52–game win streak in such situations by overcoming a 32-31 deficit Saturday night to win 65–51.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN: Senior guard Erika Ward is on a near record–setting pace from beyond the three–point line. Her 43 treys this season already rank No. 6 in the CSUMB season record book. Her 71 career three–pointers rank No. 3 at CSUMB and are just 11 shy of the Otter two–year career record of 82 by Michelle Santizo (2010–11).