SEASIDE, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team enjoyed a belated Thanksgiving feast of Cougar Saturday afternoon with a delicious 81–67 win over visiting Cal State San Marcos in The Kelp Bed. CSUMB took the lead for good seven minutes into the contest and built leads as big as 20 points in the first half and 28 points in the second half before a late San Marcos parade to the free–throw line helped trim the final margin to 14.

Starting point guard Nikki Beckman took the afternoon off, but 13 of the 14 remaining Otters scored in this one. Senior Jenna Bandy (Thousand Oaks HS) made her third career start a memorable one, just missing her career high with 19 points to go along with five boards and three steals.

Sophomore forward McKenna Hill (Ventura/St. Bonaventure HS) came off the bench to pass for a career–high five assists while matching her career high with 12 points. The Otters also got 12 points in 17 minutes off the bench from freshman forward Alexa Sperling (Clovis/Buchanan HS).

Neither side found much good fortune in the game's opening minutes. The lead changed hands several times until an Ashley Whisler (Corona/Santa Ana College) layup began a 10–0 run that turned the final San Marcos lead of the day into a 19–10 Otter advantage that wouldn't be threatened for the duration.

A Bandy 3–pointer got the lead to 20 points for the first time (40–20) with just under four minutes remaining in the first half. Another Bandy trey and free throw made the lead 61–33 seven minutes into the second half. The Otter bench kept the lead in the 22 to 28 point range for most of the balance of the game until the Cougars went 9–of–9 from the line in the final 1:56 to account for the final scoreline.

CSUMB returns to action by opening CCAA play Dec. 5–6 against UC San Diego and preseason conference favorite Cal Poly Pomona in The Kelp Bed. Tipoff both nights is at 5:30 p.m. as the opener of men's/women's doubleheader action.