Women's Basketball | December 16, 2014

SEASIDE, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team will ring out 2014 by hosting Cal State East Bay Saturday (Dec. 20) in the finale of their annual home-and-home series. Tipoff in The Kelp Bed is scheduled for 5 p.m. as the nightcap of men's/women's doubleheader action.

Fans who can't make it to The Kelp Bed can watch locally in HD on Campus Televideo Ch. 73.1 and online at www.OtterAthletics.com. Veteran play–by–play man Kevin Richardson returns for his fourth season behind the mike.

Following Saturday's game, the Otters will take a well-deserved holiday break before resuming their CCAA schedule in the new year by traveling to Sonoma State (Jan. 2) and San Francisco State (Jan. 3). They won't return to The Kelp Bed until Jan. 9–10, 2015 when Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills make their annual trip to the Central Coast.
 

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PIONEER 3–DOT NOTES (6–2, 2–1): (Game pending vs. Holy Names on Dec. 16) The Pioneers are off to a respectable 6–2 start under fifth year Head Coach Suzi Barcomb…after dropping their conference opener to Cal Poly Pomona they rebounded with a 74–57 win over UC San Diego…Over the past five seasons, East Bay has trailed only CSUMB in the NCAA Division II defensive rankings…senior guard Stephanie Lopez, a second team All–CCAA pick last season, leads East Bay in scoring (20.4 ppg), rebounding (7.5 rpg) and assists (4.0 apg)…sophomore center Remy Puou adds 12.4 ppg and 6.4 rpg.

WHEN LAST WE MET: The Otters and Pioneers played and entering and even game for the first 21 minutes. CSUMB played through three ties and 15 lead changes until East Bay used a big run early in the second half to erase the final Otter lead en route to the 76–59 win. Stephanie Sack led CSUMB with a season–high 16 points. East Bay got a career–high 27 points off the bench from Tori Breshers and an 18–point, 11–rebound double–double from Stephanie Lopez.

WHEN LAST WE PLAYED: See above.

THIS DATE IN OTTER HISTORY: Saturday's game will be CSUMB's first on a Dec. 20. On Dec. 18–19, 2011, the Otters reached the 50–rebound plateau in consecutive games for the first—and to date, only—time in program history when they pulled down 50 in a win over Cal State L.A. and 51 in a win over Cal State Dominguez Hills. At the time, those marks ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in Otter history. They currently rank No. 5 and No. 8.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK, PART I: The Otters had 16 assists and 16 turnovers last week at Cal State East Bay. It marked the second consecutive game and the fourth time in eight games in which the Otters posted as many (or more) assists than turnovers. The Otters turned that trick just three times last season.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK, PART II: This is the first time in program history that the Otters have posted an even or positive assist–to–turnover ratio four time in the first eight games. The previous record was four times in the first nine games set in 2010–11. That team also owns the CSUMB season record with 10 such performances.

WHAT A STEAL: Although she ranks among the CCAA scoring leaders, Jenna Bandy is making an even bigger impact on the defensive side. After matching her career high with three steals four times in the first six games this season, she swiped four last week at East Bay.

BANDY'S CAREER NIGHT: Jenna Bandy's career night versus Cal Poly Pomona on Dec. 6 made quite an impression in the Otter record book. Here's how her numbers from the game stack up:

• 28 Points Scored: No. 3 all–time (Dana Andrews, 41 in 2008)
• 9 Free Throws Made: No. 8 all–time (Helen Suarez 20 in 2008)
• 9 of 9 Free Throws: No. 2 all–time (Brandi Stephens, 11–of–11 in 2011)
• 5 3–Pointers: No. 6 all–time (Dana Andrews 7 in 2007 and 2008)

BANDY TOPS BRANDI: Jenna Bandy's 28–point night vs. Cal Poly Pomona represented the first game of 25 or more points by an Otter since Brandi Stephens scored 25 in a 64–59 win over Sonoma State on Dec. 3, 2011.

GIVE HER A HAND FOR GIVING A HAND: Junior point guard Stephanie Sack dished a team season–high seven assists versus Cal Poly Pomona on Dec. 6. That mark is tied for No. 9 on the Otter single–game list. The last Otter to pass for more assists was Nikki Beckman, who had nine dimes in a win over Humboldt State on Dec. 14, 2013.

OTTERS AMONG THE CCAA LEADERS: SCORING: No. 7 Jenna Bandy (14.5 ppg); FT%: No. 1 Jenna Bandy (.960); 3PT%: No. 10 Stephanie Sack (.385); ASSISTS: No. 6 Stephanie Sack (3.4 apg); STEALS: No. 3 Jenna Bandy (2.5 spg); BLOCKS: No. 5 Alexa Sperling (0.9 bpg), No. 8 Jazmine Johnson (0.8 bpg).

70 IS THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING: With apologies to Douglas Adams, the answer to everything isn't 42, it's 70. With Saturday's 81–67 win over Cal State San Marcos, CSUMB is now 34–2 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.