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SEASIDE, Calif. -- With solid exhibition performances against USC and Menlo College under its collective belt, the Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team will get its first taste of real game action this weekend when it heads to the Bay are for the Lady Argo Classic Friday and Saturday in Belmont. CSUMB opens against host Notre Dame de Namur Friday at 5 p.m. before taking on Shepherd University from West Virginia Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Live stats and video of the games (no audio) will be available at www.NDNUArgos.com. There is an $8 charge per game for the live video. Live stats will be free.

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SCOUTING THE ARGONAUTS: NDNU is looking to bounce back from a 6–20 season in which it finished eighth in the 10–team Pac West Conference with a 4–14 mark. Sophomore guard Taylor Dewees  returns after leading the Argos in scoring as a freshman at 14.8 points per game. Junior center Jennifer Jasper is the top returning rebounder at 5.5 rpg last season.

SCOREBOARD WATCHING: For those who like to play the comparative scores game, NDNU lost its  Nov. 7 scrimmage with Menlo College 91–64.

SCOUTING THE RAMS: Coming off a 20–11 campaign in which it advance to the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference semifinals, Shepherd University is picked to finish sixth in the 12–team WVIAC race this season. The Rams return second team All–WVIAC pick senior forward Emily Daniel (12.4 ppg) and WVIAC All–Freshman team pick center Gabby Flinchum (8.2 ppg/5.5 rpg).

ABOUT LAST WEEK: The Otters took their CCAA Tournament Championship banner for a spin Saturday night, taking the Kelp Bed floor for the first time this season in an 87–53 win over Menlo College. All 12 Otters in uniform scored in the game, led by junior guard Rebecca Griffin, who came off the bench to score a game–high 17 points. CSUMB also got a nice all–around effort from senior guard Stefanie Corgel, who finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

IF ONLY: Stefani Corgel's seven rebounds would have been a career high if Saturday's game counted. Her regular season high game is six against Sonoma State on Dec. 3, 2011. Her four steals matched her career high set against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Dec. 19, 2011.

FOR OPENERS: Friday's game at Notre Dame de Namur will be the ninth opening day at the NCAA Division II level for CSUMB women's basketball. The Otters are 4–4 in their previous eight openers, including a perfect 4–0 mark under fifth year Head Coach Renee Jimenez. CSUMB is 2–4 when opening day has occurred outside The Kelp Bed.

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).

20–POINT POWER: Brittani Jefferson's 22–point game at Cal State East Bay on Dec. 30, 2011 was the sixth 20–point game of the season by the Otters. Four different Otters reached that plateau last season. Jefferson has did 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 current assistant coach 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 on deficit Feb. 4, 2012 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.