STOCKTON, Calif.—Pacific women's basketball is set to open the 2023-24 season with two home games this weekend. The Tigers host Cal State Fullerton at 6 p.m. on Friday and Cal State Bakersfield at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
 
With nine returning players, the 2023-24 season is filled with expectation as the Tigers won six of their final eight regular season games then had an enormous run in the West Coast Conference tournament, defeating Saint Mary's and San Diego to advance to the semifinals.
 
Pacific was picked to finish in a tie for third with Santa Clara in the league's preseason poll this season, behind Gonzaga and Portland.
 
The Tigers have two of their top three scorers back on the squad in senior and WCC Preseason Team honoree Liz Smith (14.0 ppg) and junior Anaya James (10.4 ppg).
 
Plus, the leading rebounder is back in junior Elizabeth Elliott, who led the team with 6.0 rebounds per game while notching 8.3 points per contest.
 
Pacific and Cal State Fullerton were longtime Big West Conference rivals. The Tigers lead the series, 40-23, including a 36-20 edge when both teams were in the Big West. Pacific has won seven of the last eight meetings, but Fullerton took last year's contest, 80-66. The Titans were picked to finish for a tie in fifth in the Big West preseason poll.
 
Cal State Fullerton returns one of its two leading scorers: Fujika Nimmo, an All-Big West Second Team and Preseason Team honoree who averaged 14.5 points per game and was third in the league in scoring. Demonnie Lagway, who was selected to the Big West All-Freshman Team, averaged 2.7 points per game and shot .342 percent from the field.
 
Sunday's game will be the 11^th meeting between the Roadrunners and Tigers with Pacific holding a 6-4 edge. Last season, Pacific fell to Cal State Bakersfield on the road, 54-41.
 
The Roadrunners are coming off an 89-56 loss at California on Monday. Jordan Olivares led Bakersfield in the game with 10 points and seven rebounds. The Roadrunners have a familiar face on their roster in former Tiger player and graduate Cassidy Johnson, who played for Pacific from 2019 to 2023.
 
Fans can catch the Tigers in 16 contests at the Alex G. Spanos Center this season. Single-game tickets can be purchased at this link. All Pacific women's basketball home games will televised on ESPN+. Fans can also follow the Tigers on social media at @pacificwbb (Instagram) and @Pacific_Hoops (X).