SEASIDE, Calif. -- The 2014 calendar year begins with a bang for the Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team, which hosts a strong Humboldt State squad and early CCAA favorite Cal Poly Pomona when it returns to action Jan. 3-4 in The Kelp Bed.

Links for live stats, audio and video are listed above. watch live on the Internet and on Campus Televideo (Ch. 72) with veteran play-by-play man Kevin Richardson back to call the action live from courtside

Following Saturday's game versus Pomona, the Otters will hit the road for a 2-week, 4-game trip that begins against former Head Coach Renee Jimenez and Cal State San Bernardino on Jan. 10.

SCOUTING LUMBERJACKS (4–4, 1–3 CCAA): Don't be deceived by Humboldt State's pedestrian record: the Lumberjacks have played a brutal early schedule that included a nice win over 2013 West Region champion Western Washington. In CCAA action, they played early conference favorite Cal Poly Pomona tough twice, falling by five and eight points in their travel partner games leading into the holiday hiatus. Kersey Wilcox leads a top–heavy offense, averaging 18.9 points per game. That includes a remarkable 52–for–55 performance (94.5 percent) from the free–throw line so far this season.

WHEN LAST WE MET: CSUMB rode a stifling defensive performance to a 51–43 Valentine's Day win in Arcata last season. The Otters went 5–for–40 (12.5 percent) from the field in the first half but won the turnover battle 11–3 in the period as the teams went to the lockerroom tied at 17–17. CSUMB trailed by as many as six in the second half before using a 10–0 run midway through the period to take the lead for good. Jessica Fontenette led the Otters with 12 points. Lisa Petty scored 17 to pace Humboldt.

WHEN LAST WE PLAYED, OTTER EDITION: CSUMB's recent cold–shooting streak reached a new level on Dec. 21 when it made just one of its first 20 field goal attempts in a 64–46 loss to Cal State East Bay in The Kelp Bed. East Bay led by as many as 32 points before the Otters to cut that lead in half several times in the second period. Nikki Beckman (Dublin/Ohlone College) led the Otters for the second consecutive game, this time with 14 points.

WHEN LAST WE PLAYED, LUMBERJACK EDITION: The Lumberjacks finished their travel partner set with a second consecutive close loss to CCAA favorite Cal Poly Pomona, dropping a 79–71 decision on Dec. 21 in Lumberjack Arena. Humboldt led by as many as 13 points in the first half before Cal Poly finished the period on a 20–6 run to take a 37–36 lead at intermission. The Broncos finally took the lead for good inside the final 10 minutes. Kersey Wilcox led five Lumberjacks in double figures with 20 points.

THIS DATE IN OTTER HISTORY: The Otters attempted 71 field goals, at the time a school record for field goal attempts in a regulation game, in a 90–70 loss at Humboldt State on Jan. 3, 2009. That mark still ranks No. 4 all–time at CSUMB and No. 2 for a regulation game.

THEY'RE CALLED FREE, BUT THEY'RE COSTLY: They may be called free throws, but they've been incredibly costly to the Otters through the first seven games. CSUMB has attempted just 81 free throws so far this season (an anemic 11.6 attempts per game). By comparison, CSUMB opponents have attempted 199 free throws (28.4 attempts per game). To put that imbalance in even greater relief, Otter opponents have made 49 more free throws (130) than the Otters have attempted (81).

BECKMAN, MORGAN AMONG CCAA LEADERS: Nikki Beckman will enter the 2014 calendar year ranked among the CCAA assist leaders. Her 4.4 apg average (31 in seven games) currently places her No. 3 on the CCAA assist list. Senior forward Ashley Morgan (Rohnert Park/Santa Rosa CC) ranks No. 4 in steals (2.3 spg, 16 total).

SHOOTING THE LIGHTS OUT: Through seven games, this edition of Otter women's basketball is proving to be the best perimeter shooting team in school history. Led by Angelique Bailey (Fontana/Etiwanda HS) (6–of–15, 40.0 percent) and Ashley Morgan (13–of–34, 38.2), the Otters are converting at a 33.1 percent rate (54–of–163) from behind the arc in 2013–14. The school record for 3–point shooting percentage is 32.8 (151–of–460) set by the 2007–08 Otters.

HOLCOMB JUST MISSES DOUBLE–DOUBLE: Senior forward Holly Holcomb (Ventura/Buena HS) just missed posting CSUMB's first double–double of the season (and the third of her career) by finishing the Dec. 21 game versus East Bay with eight points and 11 rebounds. She did join Ashley Morgan (Rohnert Park/Santa Rosa CC) as the only Otters to post double figures in rebounding this season.

98 FOR THE RECORD BOOKS: The Otters set several school records in the season–opening win over Dixie State, most notably by scoring 98 points to eclipse the previous record of 95 set in a 2OT win over the University of Mary on Nov. 15, 2008.

BOMBS AWAY: A big part of the 98–point effort (39 points, to be exact), came from a record–breaking 13 3–point field goals (the previous high was 12 at San Francisco State on Jan. 23, 2008). Victoria Dorn (Marina/Seaside HS), Holly Holcomb and Ashley Morgan led the way with three treys apiece.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: The win over Dixie State was a team effort. So much so, in fact that, for the first time in CSUMB history, seven Otters scored in double figures in the same game. The magnificent seven were: Nikki Beckman 18; Holly Holcomb and Ashley Morgan 14; Victoria Dorn 13; Jenna Bandy (Thousand Oaks HS) 12; Chezla Self (Sacramento/Delta College) 11; and Alexous Robinson (Dublin/Ohlone College) 10. 

PICK UP THE PACE: While defense historically has been CSUMB's bread and butter, the Otters registered more than 70 points in three consecutive regular season games concluding with the season–opener versus Dixie State. The last time the Otters broke 70 in three consecutive regular season games came Dec. 10–19, 2011 in wins over Simpson University (86–55), Cal State L.A. (71–60) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (71–51). The Otters have never scored 70 or more points in four consecutive games.

70 IS THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING: With apologies to Douglas Adams, the answer to everything isn't 42, it's 70. The Otter saw their streak of 28 consecutive wins when scoring at least 70 points snapped Mar. 1 in overtime vs. Chico State. In fact, CSUMB is 31–2 all–time when scoring 70 or more points since the 2008–09 season. Prior to the 2013 regular season finale, the Otters hadn't scored 70 in defeat since a 85–79 loss to Cal State Stanislaus on Dec. 6, 2008.

WHY PLAY 40 MINUTES? Second halves have become all but irrelevant when the Otters lead at intermission. CSUMB has won 72 of its last 76 regular season games in which it has led at halftime. Since 2008–09, the Otters have a 78–5 regular season record when leading at intermission. Included in that run was a 52–game winning streak broken when Humboldt State overcame a 32–31 on deficit Feb. 4, 2012 to win 65–51.

BACK–TO–BACK DOUBLE–DOUBLES: Then junior forward Ashley Morgan (Rohnert Park/Santa Rosa CC) and Brittani Jefferson each posted double–doubles the weekend of Jan. 4–5, 2013 with Morgan going for 10 points and 10 rebounds at Dominguez Hills and Jefferson getting 10 and 13 at CSULA. It marks just the third time in four seasons two different Otters have posted consecutive double–doubles. The last two to do it were Jefferson (14 & 10 at SFSU on Jan. 5, 2012) and Shonetta Crain–Williams (14 & 12 at Cal Poly Pomona on Jan. 7, 2012).

In case you're wondering, the last time two Otters posted double–doubles in the same game came on Feb. 18, 2011 when Holly Holcomb had 10 & 10 and Julie Heurung had 20 & 10 in a 62–45 win over Sonoma State on Feb. 18, 2011.