Women's Basketball | November 26, 2014
SEASIDE, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball will play incoming CCAA member Cal State San Marcos for the first time when the Cougars visit The Kelp Bed Saturday (Nov. 29) for a 1 p.m. tipoff. Fans who can't make it to the game may follow live stats and the live video feed at www.OtterAthletics.com. There will be no live commentary for this game.
SAN MARCOS 3–DOT NOTES (1–5): The Cougars are playing their final season as an NAIA Independent institution before joing the CCAA as a provisional member next season…they won their only home game of the season (65–56 over La Sierra University) but have dropped all five played on the road…CSUSM is 0–2 vs. NCAA Div. II competition with losses to Alaska (78–80) and at Dixie State (62–67)…Sr. F Heather Thompson leads four Cougars scoring in double figures at 13.8 ppg…she's also the team's top rebounder at 7.5 rpg.
WHEN LAST WE MET: This will be the first meeting between the Otters and the Courgars in women's basketball.
THIS DATE IN OTTER HISTORY: The Otters have played just once previously on Nov. 29, but it was a record–setting day. CSUMB passed for a then school–record 20 assists and shot a then school–record 91.7 percent from the stripe (17–of–18) in a 72–64 win over Academy of Art on Nov. 29, 2008. The game was played at the Cal State Stanislaus tournament in Turlock.
FOR (HOME) OPENERS: The Otters saw their streak of eight consecutive home–opener victories snapped with Sunday's 69–66 upset by Holy Names University. CSUMB is now 8–3 in home openers since moving to the NCAA Division II level for the 2004–05 season.
HOME SWEET HOME: The onerous CCAA schedule which requires 22 conference home games (out OF 25 dates) hasn't left much room for nonconference play in The Kelp Bed, but the Otters have enjoyed those games when they could. The Otters are 12–3 in nonconference play at home since the 2007–08 season.
YOU CAN'T TELL THE PLAYERS WITHOUT A SCORECARD: Otter fans will have plenty of new faces to remember as we kickoff the 2014–15 season. Eleven of the 16 active players will be making their debutante appearances this season.
SITTING THIS ONE OUT: Senior guard
Angelique Bailey (recovering from injury) and freshman guard
Jessie Evans are redshirting the 2014–15 season.
THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY: The theory of relativity applies to the Otter bench this season. Joining the team as a volunteer assistant coach is
Kellie Beckman, the mother of Otter senior guard
Nikki Beckman. Kellie was most recently on the coaching staff at Ohlone College.
START ME UP: Senior guard
Jenna Bandy has been a super sub for the Otter for the first three–plus seasons of her career. Sunday versus Holy Names, she made the second start of her career a memorable one, scoring 13 points while matching her career highs with eight rebounds and three steals.
IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING: Jenna Bandy's first start came in her sophomore season, when she helped the Otters win the 2012 CCAA Tournament Championship game with a career–high four assists in a 71–69 victory over Cal State L.A. on Mar. 3, 2012.
THE DEFENSE DOESN'T REST: Defense continues to be the staple of the Otter diet, with CSUMB finished last season allowing just 59.2 points per game. The Otters finished their first season under Head Coach
Kerri Nakamoto ranked No. 1 in both the CCAA and the West Region and No. 13 in the nation in scoring defense.
70 IS THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING: With apologies to Douglas Adams, the answer to everything isn't 42, it's 70. With the 78–68 win at Notre Dame de Namur on Nov. 15, CSUMB is now 33–2 when scoring 70 or more points since the 2008–09 season. Prior to the 2013 regular season finale (an 84–75 overtime loss to Chico State), 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. With the win at Notre Dame de Namur, CSUMB has won 74 of its last 78 regular season games in which it has led at halftime. Since 2008–09, the Otters have an 80–5 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.
GO OTTERS!
