OTTERS vs DIXIE STATE NOTEBOOK (PDF)  |  LIVE VIDEO  |  LIVE STATS

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SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Kerri Nakamoto (@CoachKNakamoto) era for Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball begins in earnest Saturday (Nov. 9) when the Otters host traditional NCAA West Region contender Dixie State University for a rare noon tip in The Kelp Bed. It will be an unusual double baptism of sorts as Dixie State Head Coach Catherria Turner will also be coaching her first regular season game on the Red Storm bench.

"I am extremely excited to play Dixie State this weekend," says Nakamoto. "Dixie will be a tough test, but we look forward to the challenge. These young women have been working hard the last few weeks and are ready to face a new opponent in The Kelp Bed."

This will be the only chance for Otter fans to see their team at home until December. Following Saturday's game, the light preconference schedule ends with a pair of contests in Belmont on Nov. 16-17 vs. Southwest Minnesota State and Notre Dame de Namur.

The Otters have been a bit banged up through most of the preseason but have been getting healthy and should have almost their full complement of players available Saturday.

As with all Otter home games, live streaming video and statistics will be available free at www.OtterAthletics.com.

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SCOUTING RED STORM (15–13 IN 2012–13): Dixie State has yet to suffer a losing season in its seven NCAA Division II campaigns. Having said that, the Red Storm is coming off its "worst" season of NCAA play, finishing at 15–13 last season. They got off to a bit of an uneven start before finishing strong, winning seven of their final 10 games and advancing to the PacWest Conference semifinals. They'll be relying on a host of new players to keep their streak of winning seasons alive, returning only three letterwinners from the 2012–13 roster. Junior guard Kaylah Miller is Dixie's top returning scorer at 8.6 points per game. Senior guard Jordan Giles was No. 2 on the team with 80 assists (2.9 apg).

WHEN LAST WE MET: The teams have met just twice previously, with both coming on neutral courts. The last meeting took place in the 2011 NCAA West Region quarterfinals. The Otters never trailed, pulling away in the second half for a 68–59 win in Cal Poly Pomona's Kellogg Gym. Then freshman Holly Holcomb (Ventura/Buena HS) led both teams with 12 rebounds.

TOGETHER AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME: Although this will be the third meeting between Dixie State and CSUMB in women's basketball, it will be like starting the rivalry anew. Holly Holcomb and Jenna Bandy (Thousand Oaks HS) are the only players on either team who have played in the series.

WHEN LAST WE PLAYED: The Otters went toe–to–toe with the nation's No. 5 ranked team and came up just short in a 71–63 NCAA Division II West Regional semifinal loss at Western Washington. The game was tied as late as 40–40 midway through the second half and was still a 2–point game (52–50) with under six minutes remaining. But WWU went 10–for–10 from the line late to pull away.

20–20 VISION: The Mar. 16 NCAA Tournament win over Chico State secured CSUMB's third consecutive 20–plus win season. CSUMB won 27 games in 2011 (27–4) and 21 games in 2012 (21–9). During the Renee Jimenez era of CSUMB basketball (2008–13) the Otters have averaged 19 wins per season. Prior to Jimenez, the Otters had never won as many as 10 games in a season.

A PERFECT 10…POINTS PER GAME: Thanks in part to scoring a career–high 23 points in CSUMB's CCAA Tourney opening win over Cal Poly Pomona, Brittani Jefferson ended her season scoring average at 11.5 points per game. She is the first Otter since Veronica Williams to average double figures in scoring for a season. Williams averaged 12.1 ppg in 2010.

HOT AND COLD: Nearly two–thirds of CSUMB's 146 three–point field goals this season came in 11 hot–shooting games when the Otters went a combined 91–for–217 from beyond the arc (41.9 pct.). In CSUMB's other 18 games last season, it has shot just 55–for–291 (18.9 pct.) from long range.

SIX IS THE MAGIC NUMBER: Six seemed to be the magic number for three–point field goals in the Renee Jimenez era of Otter basketball. Their Mar. 1 overtime loss to Chico State snapped the Otters 13–game winning streak when draining at least six long balls. Even more impressive, CSUMB is 25–4 (a winning percentage of 86.2) in its last 29 contests when it made at least six three–pointers. All–time under Jimenez, CSUMB is 60–14 (81.1 pct.) when making at least six treys in a game.

THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: The Otter defense continues to be as consistent as — for lack of a better comparison — the Otter defense. The Otters held 11 opponents (of 29 last season) under 50 points. Only seven opponents reached the 60–point plateau in regulation against CSUMB.

PICK UP THE PACE: While CSUMB's bread and butter remains its defense, the Otters registered more than 70 points in three consecutive games in the season's final fortnight, the only time it happened in 2012–13. The last time the Otters broke 70 in three consecutive games came Dec. 10–19, 2011 in wins over Simpson University (86–55), Cal State L.A. (71–60) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (71–51). The Otters have never score 70 or more points in four consecutive games.

70 IS THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING: With apologies to Douglas Adams, the answer to everything isn't 42, it's 70. The Otter saw their streak of 28 consecutive wins when scoring at least 70 points snapped Mar. 1 in overtime vs. Chico State. In fact, CSUMB was 30–2 all–time when scoring 70 or more points under Renee Jimenez. Prior to the regular season finale, the Otters hadn't scored 70 in defeat since a 85–79 loss to Cal State Stanislaus on Dec. 6, 2008.

WHY PLAY 40 MINUTES? Second halves have become all but irrelevant when the Otters lead at intermission. CSUMB has won 69 of its last 73 regular season games in which it has led at halftime. In fact, under Renee Jimenez, the Otters had a 75–5 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 on Feb. 4, 2012.

ON THE REBOUND: The Otters ended the 2013–13 season averaging 40.4 rebounds per game, breaking the school record for rebounding average in a season by eclipsing the 38.4 rebounds per game pulled down by the 2006–07 Otters. In terms of total rebounds, CSUMB tied the school record of 1,173 boards set over 31 games by the 2010–11 Otters.

SHE GIVETH AND SHE TAKETH AWAY: Jessica Fontenette ended her illustrious career as the most generous (and most stingy) player in Otter history. She destroyed Dana Andrews' steals record by 50, finishing with 183. She also leaves CSUMB as the Otter record holder with 216 assists, 10 better than the mark set by Alma Lopez.

BACK–TO–BACK DOUBLE–DOUBLES: Then junior forward Ashley Morgan (Rohnert Park/Santa Rosa CC) and Brittani Jefferson each posted double–doubles the weekend of Jan. 4–5, 2013 with Morgan going for 10 points and 10 rebounds at Dominguez Hills and Jefferson getting 10 and 13 at CSULA. It marks just the third time in four seasons two different Otters have posted consecutive double–doubles. The last two to do it were Jefferson (14 & 10 at SFSU on Jan. 5, 2012) and Shonetta Crain–Williams (14 & 12 at Cal Poly Pomona on Jan. 7, 2012).

In case you're wondering, the last time two Otters posted double–doubles in the same game came on Feb. 18, 2011 when Holly Holcomb had 10 & 10 and Julie Heurung had 20 & 10 in a 62–45 win over Sonoma State on Feb. 18, 2011.

THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: Otter success in the Renee Jimenez era began 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. The Otters ended 2012–13 allowing 54.3 ppg, good for No. 11 in the nation among NCAA Division II schools.

GO OTTERS!