FULL NOTEBOOK vs. EAST BAY IN PDF FORMAT


SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team can secure a top four seed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament -- and the home game tournament game that goes with it -- by holding serve when conference travel partner Cal State East Bay visits The Kelp Bed Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.

Fans who can't make the game can follow the action live online at www.OtterAthletics.com. Kevin Richardson and Patrick Kelley will call the action.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS: Cal State East Bay enters Tuesday's game fighting for its postseason life. A win Tuesday puts the Pioneers two games clear of ninth place with four games remaining. No Pioneer begins the week scoring in double figures. Marlene MacMillan tops the scoring chart at 9.0 ppg. She also leads the team in rebounding (8.9 rpg), blocks (19) and steals (36).

WHEN LAST WE MET: The Otters had trouble shaking the Pioneers in their first meeting of the season before turning a 30–30 halftime tie into a 68–56 win in Pioneer Gym on Dec. 30. East Bay took its only lead of the second half at 45–44 10 minutes in, but the Otters responded with a 13–2 run to get the lead back to double digits and secure the win. Brittani Jefferson (Palmdale/Quartz Hill HS) led CSUMB with a career–high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Lauren Lucchesi led East Bay with 19 points.

WIN AND WE'RE HOME: Based on CCAA tie–breaker procedures, the Otters can clinch a top four seed and a home playoff game Feb. 28 (opponent TBD) with a win over East Bay on Tuesday.

FIRST NCAA RANKING DUE WEDNESDAY: The all important NCAA Regional rankings make the first appearance of the season Wednesday. The Otters are working to finish in the top eight and earn their second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid.

ABOUT LAST WEEK: The Otters opened last week with a big 67–62 win over No. 22 Cal Poly Pomona to take firm control of second place in the CCAA. The Otters led for the final 34:14 of regulation, but had to hold off a late Bronco rally to secure the win. Danielle Padilla (Salem. Ore./McKay HS) came off the bench to lead the Otters with a season–high 14 points. Saturday, the Otters did East Bay a favor by dispatching San Francisco State, 76–57, behind Brittani Jefferson's 18 points.

East Bay also earned a weekend sweep. The Pioneers held off SFSU for a 46–41 win Friday before pulling off a big 53–51 upset of Cal Poly Pomona Saturday. Marlene MacMillan posted a 12–point, 10–rebound double–double against the Gators. MacMillan's 13 points led East Bay against Pomona, but Micah Walker's jumper with four seconds remaining was the game–winner.

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 have enjoyed the start to their five–game homestand winning a pair last weekend after playing nine of their previous 11 on the road. CSUMB is shooting 53 points better at home (.422) than on the road (.369). They also shoot 41 points better from beyond the arc (.322 vs. .281) and 22 points better from the stripe (.689 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 19–2 home streak and are 19–2 in their last 21 CCAA games at home.

PADILLA FOR THREE–AH: Junior guard Danielle Padilla reached double figures for the first time in her collegiate career with 14 points last week against Cal Poly Pomona. She hit 4–of–6 from beyond the arc and now leads CSUMB by shooting 40.0 percent (18–of–45) from long range.

'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 14 of their first 21 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 54 of its last 55 regular season games in which it has led at halftime. In fact, under Jimenez, the Otters have a 60–3 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 Dec. 4 to win 65–51.