A win in March for the Cal State San Marcos women’s basketball team means a lot more than a loss in November. That much was clear Friday.
After starting the 2023-24 season with a loss to local rival Point Loma Nazarene, the Cougars will carry their season further into the Division II playoffs with a decisive victory that did more than avenge that season-opening loss.
With CSUSM’s 82-61 victory over the Sea Lions on Friday at Azusa Pacific University, the second-seeded Cougars advance to meet No. 3 seed Western Washington today in the eight-team regional semifinal.
A season ago, the Cougars (24-6) came within a win of advancing to the Elite Eight, and now they’re two wins within that goal after the victory over PLNU.
Jordan Vasquez, a 6-foot forward who transferred from Fort Lewis (Colo.) College, led all scorers with 30 points Friday night, hitting on 12 of 17 field goals while grabbing 12 rebounds. The day before, Vasquez was named the West Region Player of the Year on the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Women’s All-West Region Team on Thursday.
Charity Gallegos, who ed Vasquez on the All-West team, dished out seven assists and made three steals as the Cougars got off to a fast start and didn’t look back.
Vasquez hit back-to-back jumpers to start a 15-4 run that carried over from the first quarter to the second, and the Cougars ran the lead up to 47-28 at the half.
The second half was even, but the Sea Lions (18-13) couldn’t make a dent in the advantage the Cougars had taken midway through the first half. Tavia Rowell led PLNU with 14 points, while Hannah Golan and Elle Hanson each scored 11.
