Tournament Central >>>
The 2019-20 CCAA Women's Basketball Tournament bracket had a significant development on the final day before being unveiled by the league office on Saturday night.

Cal State San Marcos (23-4, 18-4 CCAA) secured the top seed with its 75-57 home win over preseason favorite UC San Diego (22-5, 18-4 CCAA). The city rivals thus finished as CCAA regular-season co-champions, with the banner a first for the Cougar women's basketball program in just its ninth year in existence. Cal State San Marcos, now a winner of its last nine, had the tiebreaker advantage by virtue of its season sweep over the Tritons. The Cougars have earned their second CCAA tourney bid in their fifth year in the league and third of postseason eligibility. They will entertain eighth-seeded Sonoma State (15-12, 11-11 CCAA) Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in a quarterfinal. The Seawolves, who are making a fourth appearance in succession, actually won both prior meetings this year.

The 23rd-ranked Tritons saw their 14-game win streak snapped in San Marcos Saturday. Regular-season champions for the fifth-consecutive year, they will begin defense of their 2018-19 CCAA Tournament title on Tuesday in La Jolla at 5:30 p.m. against No. 7 seed Humboldt State (15-12, 11-11 CCAA). UC San Diego has played in the last three CCAA tournament finals, with this one marking its 13th and final appearance ahead of this summer's move to Division I and the Big West Conference. The Tritons made every edition since the event returned in the 2007-08 season. Tuesday will serve as a third matchup of the Turner twins, with Tyla having transferred south to UC San Diego in the offseason, and sister Tyra at Humboldt State. The Tritons took both regular-season showdowns. The Jacks are making their third consecutive trip to the postseason.

Cal Poly Pomona (19-9, 15-7 CCAA) is the No. 3 seed. Winners of four straight, the Broncos have earned a 16th-consecutive bid going back to the tournament's initial incarnation, through the 1995-96 installment. They are record 11-time tournament champions, with the latest coming in 2010-11. Cal Poly Pomona hosts sixth-seeded Stanislaus State (14-13, 12-10 CCAA) Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Kellogg Arena. The Warriors have qualified for the first time since the 2016-17 season, and fifth time overall. They were favored for 11th in the preseason coaches' poll. The Broncos pulled out a 69-65 decision in Turlock on Feb. 8 in this year's lone meeting.

Chico State's (18-10, 14-8 CCAA) dramatic 70-69 overtime triumph at Stanislaus State through Hannah Washington's buzzer-beating basket, locked up the No. 4 seed and therefore the fourth and final home quarterfinal. It marked a sixth-successive victory for the Wildcats, who are back in the field after missing out a year ago. They get fifth-seeded Cal State East Bay (17-11, 13-9 CCAA) Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Chico. The Pioneers are in the field for a ninth tournament in a row. They swept a thrilling two-game series with the Wildcats, winning 63-62 in Chico and and 71-67 in Hayward, both in overtime.

The four teams that advance past Tuesday will be in La Jolla over the weekend as UC San Diego hosts the semifinal and final rounds of both the women's and men's tournaments inside the renovated RIMAC Arena on its North Campus. Women's games will conclude Friday festivities, with tip times of 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. 

General admission tickets to the 2019-20 CCAA Men's & Women's Basketball Tournament are $20 for courtside seats, and $10 for adult general admission entrance. Seniors 60 and older, active military and children aged 3 to 12 can enter for $5, with students with a valid ID from the participating schools enjoying $3 admission.

The women's title game on Saturday night will begin at approximately 8 p.m., with the winner once again receiving the CCAA's automatic bid into the eight-team NCAA Division II West Regional. The full field of 64 squads will be unveiled on Sunday, March 8, at 7 p.m. PT, live on NCAA.com. Regional action is on March 13, March 14 and March 16.

All postseason games in La Jolla can be viewed, for free, on ESPN3, with Tuesday's contests at Cal State San Marcos and Cal Poly Pomona available on the CCAA Network and Chico State is streaming through Stretch Internet, also without a charge.