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SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team will kick off its 2012-13 season with an exhibition game Sunday, Nov. 4 at Pac-12 contender USC. Tipoff in the Galen Center is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Admission is free for the game.  The CSUMB Alumni Association is hosting a tailgate at the 901 Bar & Grill before the game. Please CLICK HERE to check out the event link on the Facebook for more information.

SCOUTING THE TROJANS: The Women of Troy are receiving votes in the preseason AP poll. They finished the 2011–12 regular season on fire, winning six in a row and eight of their final 10 before bowing to Washington State in the Pac–12 Tournament. USC returns two starters from last season's 18–12 squad: Honorable mention All–Pac–12 selections Cassie Harberts (Jr./F) and Christina Marinacci (Sr./F). Harberts is the team's top returning scorer at 11.9 points per game while Marinacci is the top returning rebounder at 7.4 rebounds per game.

VERSUS DIVISION I COMPETITION: The Otters do not have a history of scheduling NCAA Division I competition in either exhibition or regular season play. The last time the Otters faced a Division I foe came in the preseason of 2010–11. Then junior guard (now assistant coach) Erika Ward scored a game–high 17 points to lead CSUMB past UC Santa Barbara 53–49 on Nov. 4, 2010.

OTTERS IN THE RANKINGS: The Otters are receiving votes in the USA Today preseason NCAA Division II poll.

ANOTHER 20–WIN SEASON, ANOTHER TITLE: The Otters secured a second consecutive 20–win season and a second consecutive championship banner with last season's run through the CCAA Tournament. They are the first two of each in CSUMB women's basketball history.

70 IS THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING: With apologies to Douglas Adams, the answer to everything isn't 42, it's 70. The Otters have won 23 consecutive games when scoring at least 70 points, a streak they continued with their 71–69 CCAA Championship Game victory over Cal State L.A. on Mar. 3, 2012. In fact, CSUMB is 24-1 all–time when scoring 70 or more points under Renee Jimenez. The lone loss, you ask? An 85–79 loss to Cal State Stanislaus on Dec. 6, 2008.

ALL–CCAA TEAMS: Then senior wing Brandi Stephens earned first team All–CCAA honors as voted on by the conference coaches for 2011–12. Current seniors Stefanie Corgel and Brittani Jefferson garnered second team recognition.

ALL–CCAA TOURNAMENT: Brittani Jefferson's buzzer beater in the title game helped propel her to winning the CCAA Championship most outstanding player award. She was joined on the all–tournament team by Jessica Fontenette and Erika Ward.

HIGH FIVE SIX FOR DOUBLE–DOUBLES: Brittani Jefferson stepped up big in her first postseason, recording double–doubles in wins over East Bay (10 points/12 rebounds) and Cal State L.A. (11 & 12); her 5th and 6th overall. To put that effort in perspective, on the previous season's CCAA Championship team combined for just four double–doubles (3 by Julie Heurung and 1 by Holly Holcomb).

HIGH (TWENTY) FIVE: Brandi Stephens' 25–point effort against Sonoma State made her just the fifth player in CSUMB women's basketball history to score 25 points in a game. The only Otters to score more were Dana Andrews (who did it eight times, including a school–record 41 points against Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2008) and Alma Lopez (who dropped 33 on SFSU in 2008). The other 25–point scorers were Julie Heurung (vs. Cal State Stanislaus on Feb. 25, 2011) and Helen Suarez (at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Jan. 9, 2009).

20–POINT POWER: Brittani Jefferson's 22–point game at Cal State East Bay on Dec. 30 was the sixth 20–point game of the season by the Otters. Four different Otters reached that plateau this season. Jefferson has done it twice, including a 21–point night vs. Simpson. Erika Ward (22 vs. Colorado State–Pueblo), Stefanie Corgel (20 vs. Cal State L.A.) and Brandi Stephens (22 vs. Humboldt State; 25 vs. Sonoma State) account for the other four.

20–POINT POWER, PART II: The above statistic stands out a bit more when you consider that the Otters posted just three 20–point games during 2011's 27–4 CCAA Championship run. All three of those games belonged to Julie Heurung.

WHY PLAY 40 MINUTES? Second halves have become all but irrelevant when the Otters lead at intermission under Renee Jimenez. CSUMB has won 56 of its last 57 regular season games in which it has led at halftime. In fact, under Jimenez, the Otters have a 62–3 all–time regular season record when leading at intermission. Humboldt State broke the Otters' 52–game win streak in such situations by overcoming a 32-31 deficit Dec. 4 to win 65–51. CSUMB was 18–1 when leading at halftime last season.

THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: Otter success in the Renee Jimenez era begins with defense. The 2011–12 Otters allowed just 59.6 points per game, marking the third consecutive season they allowed fewer than 60.0 points per game.

BALANCING ACT: While defense remains the forté, the Otter offense found success by doing an insane balancing act once again in 2011–12. CSUMB's top six scorers averaged between 9.8 and 7.6 points per game, marking the second consecutive season that an Otter championship team did not feature a player who averaged in double figures.

OTTERS WEARING RED? While not traditionally a CSUMB color, red will be the color for five Otters who will redshirt the 2012–13 season: Two of the redshirts will be returning players: Senior guard Danielle Padilla and sophomore forward Mykayla Harris. They will be joined on the redshirt list by junior wing Kayla Patton and freshman guards Victoria Dorn and Tyvette White.

WORKING OVERTIME: Four seasons, four overtime games, four wins. That's the formula for CSUMB and bonus basketball during the Renee Jimenez era. The Otters have played (and won) exactly one overtime game each season under Jimenez. Last season, the Otters came from behind late in regulation then finished off Sonoma State 64–59 in The Kelp Bed on Dec. 3, 2011.