After battling through 22 conference basketball games, three teams can call themselves champions in 2023-24. Cal State San Marcos (18-4) won the women's championship outright, while Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Dominguez Hills shared the men's title with identical 17-5 records.
 
It is the third time in the past four seasons that Cal State San Marcos (21-6, 18-4 CCAA) has claimed the CCAA regular season championship. The Cougars ranked No. 4 in the latest NCAA West Regional, lost only one home game, and put together five- and seven-game winning streaks in conference play. CSUSM has reached the tournament championship every time it has earned the No. 1 seed (three times).
 
The stats also reflect the Cougars' dominant season. They led the conference in scoring defense, as they were the only team to hold opponents to less than 60 points per game (59.6 ppg). Cal State San Marcos was also second in blocks (3.6) and rebounding margin (4.9) and third in opponents' field goal percentage (.370). Offensively, Cal State San Marcos led the conference in free throw percentage (.759) and was second in field goal percentage (.425), averaging 70.0 ppg.
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills (22-6, 17-5 CCAA) earned a share of its first regular season CCAA Championship since 2008-09 when it was co-champions with Cal Poly Pomona. After dropping its first game of the season, the Toros rattled off nine consecutive wins, including four to start CCAA play. The streak propelled them into the top 25 and the top of the CCAA standings, where they would remain throughout most of the season. They went 10-2 on the road to earn the program's sixth CCAA Tournament berth in the past seven seasons.
 
Defense and getting to the free throw line were the recipes for success for the Toros. They ranked 10th in NCAA Div. II in field goal defense at .402 percent. CSUDH limited opponents to just over 70 ppg with a .314 shooting percentage from 3-point range (40th NCAA). Cal State Dominguez Hills is putting up 75.6 ppg and features the conference's second (Jeremy Dent-Smith, 16.9 ppg) and fifth-leading scorers (Jakob Alamudun,15.1 ppg). They also lead the conference with 16.6 free throws made per game.
 
Cal State San Bernardino (22-6, 17-5 CCAA) won 12 of its final 14 games to earn the CCAA men's basketball regular season champions for the third consecutive season. CSUSB, which will host the 2024 CCAA Tournament March 7-9, went 12-3 at home, outscoring their opponents by nearly 25 PPG over their last four contests. It is the Coyotes' sixth consecutive CCAA Tournament appearance. Last year, CSUSB won both the CCAA regular season and tournament title, marking just the third time this feat was accomplished since the tournament was reinstated in 2007-08.
 
Once again, CSUSB is among the nation's rebounding leaders. Cal State San Bernardino pulls down nearly two more caroms per game than any CCAA team and ranks fourth in the country with a 9.2 rebounding margin. It also ranks 12th nationally in scoring defense (65.2) and 15th in 3-point percentage defense (.303). CSUSB scores 77.0 ppg (second CCAA) and gets to the free throw line more than any conference team (22.7).
 
All three teams received a first-round bye for the CCAA Tournament on March 7-9 in San Bernardino. For more information, visit GoCCAA.org/WBBtourney or GoCCAA.org/MBBtourney.