Women's Basketball | December 26, 2017

FULL NOTEBOOK (PDF)

SEASIDE, Calif.—The Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team looks to end the calendar year back in the win column as it travels to close 2017 with games at Cal Poly Pomona Friday (Dec. 29) and at Cal State San Bernardino Saturday (Dec. 30). Both games will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. as the openers of men's/women's doubleheader action.

The Otters hope the trip south will heat things up after a cold–shooting spell dropped them into a 5–game skid entering the Christmas break. The trip will set up a 3–game homestand for CSUMB entering the new year.

Live video and stats for both games will be available via www.BroncoAthletics.com and www.CSUSBAthletics.com. Live audio will be available on OtterAthletics.com with Rob Ponce handling the play-by-play both nights.
 

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BRONCO 3–DOT NOTES (6–4, 3–2 CCAA): After getting off to a slow start, the Broncos rolled into the Christmas break by winning five of their last six games, including a 60–49 win at San Bernardino in their last contest…CCAA losses are to Humboldt (48–66) and at Stanislaus (65–72)…senior forwards Priscilla Brooks and Chelsea Waddy–Blow share the team lead in scoring at 11.4 ppg…the duo also tops the Bronco rebounding chart at 8.2 and 7.7 rpg respectively.

WHEN LAST WE MET: The Otters were within four points early in the second half when Pomona went on a 16–2 run to take control en route to an 80–59 win in The Kelp Bed on Jan. 27 last season. Jessi Evans scored a career–high 17 points to lead CSUMB. Priscilla Brooks (17 pts, 10 reb.) and Chelsea Waddy–Blow (10 pts., 11 reb.) recorded double–doubles for Pomona.

WHEN LAST WE PLAYED: CSUMB's streak of Arctic level coldness continued as the Otters shot just 24.6 percent from the floor in a 71–48 loss to San Francisco State in their final game before the break. Courtney Keaton provided the statistical bright spot with a 13–point, 15–rebound double–double, her fourth of the season.

THE GAME WAS STATISTICALLY OVER WHEN… A mid range jumper by Courtenay Brown gave the Gators a 63–42 lead with 4:03 to play.

THIS DATE IN OTTER HISTORY: The Otters made 13 steals—then the No. 5 mark in CSUMB history—but it wasn't enough to prevent Fort Lewis College from taking a 71–64 victory in The kelp Bed on Dec. 29, 2007.

QUADRUPLE DOUBLE–DOUBLE… Courtney Keaton posted her fourth double–double of the season with 13 points and 15 rebounds versus San Francisco State on Dec. 17. The Otters as a team had just eight double–doubles in all of 2016–17.

A LITTLE WINDEX, PLEASE… Courtney Keaton (13) and Alexa Sperling (7) cleaned the glass to the tune of 20 rebounds in each of CSUMB's last two games. The duo both rank in the Top 10 on the CSUMB career rebounding leaderboard. Keaton sits in the No. 8 spot at 367 while Sperling just passed Michele Hale (2003–05) for the No. 9 spot with 335.

AN ARCTIC BLAST: CSUMB recent cold spell has been a bitter one. The Otters have shot less than 30 percent from the floor in three of their last five games. To put that in perspective, the Otters have never shot less than 30 percent in a game more than five times in an entire season since moving to the NCAA level in 2004.

THE GOOD HANDS PEOPLE… The Otters took historically good care of the ball Dec. 8 at UC San Diego, committing just seven turnovers. Not only is that total a season low, it tied the Otter record for fewest turnovers in a game first set against Cal Poly Pomona on Jan. 28, 2011.

TWO OF A KIND: With games of 27 and 29 points in her last seven games, Aubri Smith now owns two of the Top 10 scoring games in CSUMB history. She joins all–time lead scorer Dana Andrews (5) as the only Otter players to have at two games ranked in the Top 10.

OTTERS AMONG THE CCAA LEADERS: Aubri Smith's 14.7 ppg ranks her No. 9 on the CCAA scoring chart as we reach the end of the 2017 calendar year. Other Otters amongst the leaders include: REBOUNDING: No. 7 Courtney Keaton (7.2 rpg); ASSISTS: No. 8 Aubri Smith (3.4 apg); STEALS: No. 7 Aubri Smith (1.9 spg).

WHY PLAY 40 MINUTES? The final five minutes have been all but irrelevant. CSUMB is 10–0 when leading after 35 and 0–29 when trailing after 35 dating back to the 2015–16 season.

THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING: With apologies to Douglas Adams, the answer to everything isn't 42, it's 70. With the Nov. 17 71–70 win at Cal State L.A., CSUMB is now 40–5 when scoring 70 or more points since the 2008–09 season. Up that number to 80 points and the numbers get even more impressive. The Otters have won 15 consecutive games when scoring at least 80 points dating back to the 2005–06 season.