ARCATA — Dishing up an early helping of gourmet basketball is on Humboldt State's menu when the Lumberjacks go on the road for Wednesday's single game against Western Oregon University. The Jacks travel Tuesday, play the Wolves at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, then return home for an evening Thanksgiving feast Thursday.
Humboldt State enters the contest 1-1 on the young season after splitting at the Ron Logsdon Classic in Rohnert Park. Western Oregon is off to a 2-0 start following a pair of home victories.
On-the-Air
Every Lumberjack basketball game is broadcast live over the local airways on KATA, 1340 AM, beginning with the pregame show 15 minutes prior to game time. Bicoastal Media Sports Director J.B. Mathers describes the action from Lumberjack Arena and HSU Assistant Athletic Director Dan Pambianco goes on the road with the Jacks. …Audio is also streamed live over the Internet through the hsujacks.com web site. The new UStream format allows an interactive chat between listeners during the webcast. The specific URL for access is located at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/humboldt-state-athletics.
Live Stats
All Lumberjack basketball home games can be tracked online by using the Live Stats feature on hsujacks.com. Real time statistics, momentum tracker and other information are featured on the game viewer. The feature can be found at http://www.sidearmstats.com/humboldt/mbball/. Western Oregon's web site also features live stats, which can be accessed at http://athletics.wou.edu/live/xlive.htm for Wednesday's game.
Head-to-Head
Leading 13-8 in the all-time series, the Jacks have enjoyed many spirited games against their former Great Northwest Athletic Conference rivals. The teams played each other twice a season during HSU's five years in the GNAC and three seasons in the PacWest. Last year the Wolves came to Arcata as participants in the DeBeni Tournament, where they defeated the Lumberjacks, 85-76.
Projected Starters
G - #12 Ernie Spada, 5-11, 175, Jr., Lake Oswego, Ore.
G - #22 Zac Tiedeman, 6-1, 180, Sr., Santa Rosa, Calif.
F - #21 Kyle Baxter, 6-9, 200, So., Sacramento, Calif.
F - #24 Kevin Atkins, 6-6, 220, Sr., Long Beach, Calif.
C - #32 Brian Morris, 6-9, 260, Jr., Portland, Ore.
Lumberjack Links
Following are links to more information on the Lumberjack basketball program.
Complete Roster
Schedule
Season Statistics
Lumberjack Notes
Without the benefit of much rest, the Lumberjacks jump quickly back in the vans, heading north this time for the 7-plus hour drive to Monmouth, Ore. The Wolves did the same last year, traveling to participate in the Jacks' DeBeni Classic. …Derrick Buchanan and David Howard will both travel this week, but their court time will be determined following two practices to begin the week. Buchanan, with a viral illness, and Howard, who had wisdom teeth extracted, were both unable to practice last week. "They'll practice Monday, and we'll see if they're good to go Wednesday," HSU Coach Tom Wood said. "They've missed a whole week of practice, so it's hard to say (if they'll play). It depends on the situation." …The Jacks rediscovered their shooting skills in the second game of the Logsdon Classic, hitting 52 percent from the field, including 50 percent from three-point range. This week, they'll focus more on defense, looking for a way to stop teams and provide more offensive chances. "We can't just count on outscoring people. We have to make stops when needed," Wood said. "If we can come up with two, three, four defensive stops in a row, we give ourselves a chance to make some separation. Trading baskets with others teams isn't the way we want to play." …Junior post Brian Morris was named to the all-tournament team following the Ron Logsdon Classic. Morris averaged 15.5 points and 8 rebounds per game in HSU's two contests. Despite being saddled with foul trouble, Morris managed 18 points in only 18 minutes of playing time during Saturday's win over Hawaii Pacific.
Opponent Notes
Western Oregon has taken advantage of opening the season with its own WOU/Phoenix Inn D2 Shootout, claiming wins over Notre Dame de Namur and Hawaii Hilo. …Senior forward Rico Myles was named co-Tournament MVP, contributing 12 points and eight rebounds in the win over Hawaii Hilo, and 10 points and 10 boards against NDNU. Also named to the all-tourney team was the Wolves' sophomore guard, Kyle Long, who averaged 14 points and shot 50 percent from the field in the two victories. …Along with Long, sophomore guard Blair Wheadon and senior forward Matt Schmidt are key returners from last year's WOU squad that started hot but finished the season 10-17.
Wood's Words
"I liked the way we played Saturday. We used a lot of people, we pressed, and played the style of basketball we've been successful with the past eight or nine years. We may not have made a lot of steals, but the tactics were a plus. By the end of the game, it had taken an energy toll on our opponents." … "I really don't know a lot about Western Oregon, or how to go about preparing for them. At this time of the season it's more important to focus on ourselves and what we're doing. There is a lot we need to improve upon."
