ARCATA — Two of Humboldt State's most long-standing basketball rivals - Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State - visit Arcata for games this weekend in Lumberjack Arena. First to arrive is Cal State Stanislaus, a former member of the Northern California Athletic Conference along with the Lumberjacks through much of the 80s and 90s. Also in that league, and the likewise defunct Far Western Conference with HSU, was Chico State, the program the Jacks will take on Saturday. Both games tip off at 7:30 p.m.

On-the-Air: All Lumberjack basketball games are broadcast live locally on KATA, 1340 AM, the North Coast's ESPN radio affiliate.  Webcasts are also available for out-of-area listeners, accessed through the Humboldt State Athletics site at hsujacks.com. …Bicoastal Media Sports Director J.B. Mathers is back for another year of bring home the action from courtside for all home contests. He'll be joined by Humboldt State Athletics Hall-of-Famer Burt Nordstrom. On the road, Assistant Athletic Director Dan Pambianco provides play-by-play. All broadcasts begin 15 minutes prior to game time with the pregame show.

Coaches Show: For insight on the Jacks' basketball program and information on all of Humboldt State's athletics activities, catch "Humboldt State Tonight" on Fox Channel 2 local cable television at 6 p.m. Thursdays. J.B. Mathers hosts the show, which features interviews with Coach Tom Wood, student-athletes, and other HSU Athletics staff members.

Live Stats: Fans can follow the action from Lumberjack Arena on their home computers by accessing the Live Stats feature on hsujacks.com. Home games are linked at http://livestats.internetconsult.com/humboldt/mbball/.

Head-to-Head: Adding another win earlier this season, the Lumberjacks now hold a 32-28 lead over CSU Stanislaus in the all-time series. HSU knocked off the Warriors, 82-74 on Jan. 10 in Turlock. …With a 65-61 win over Chico State on Jan. 9 in Chico, the Lumberjacks improved to 67-105 in the historical series against the Wildcats.

Rankings: Last week's NCAA West Region poll had the Jacks sitting solid at No. 6, one spot up from where they were the previous week. Another poll will be released Wednesday, and the rankings will continue on a weekly schedule to the final poll on March 4. The eight teams selected from the west to compete in the NCAA Division II Tournament will be announced on March 8.

Lumberjack Notes: Still carrying the theme of lessons learned, the young Jacks gathered more knowledge during last week's roadtrip. After rising up with a big second half to take down CSU Monterey Bay on Friday, they fell flat in a loss to San Francisco State on Saturday. "It's hard to win two games on the road against two worthy opponents," HSU head coach Tom Wood said. "On the second night, both teams are tired, and the team who plays hardest despite being tired is usually going to win. (San Francisco State's) effort and preparation was better than ours, and they won." …Six games remain for the Jacks, four of them at home and two road contests sandwiched between. Currently standing one game behind Cal State San Bernardino, the Jacks have as good a chance as any squad of earning the league title. After facing the Warriors and Wildcats this week, they'll get their chance to play the Coyotes, along with other contenders Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills. "The contenders all play one another in the home stretch, and its going to be a long, grinding stretch," Wood said. "The team that stays mentally tough and focused will be able to stay on its feet." …HSU missed the spark off the bench provided by freshman guard David Broome, who was limited to a brief stint against CSU Monterey Bay last weekend because of an injury suffered in practice last week. Broome suffered severe bruising on his hip and back, and will slowly work his way back this week as time allows. His former Castro Valley High School teammate, Will Petty, was also limited because of an infected abrasion on his foot…Zac Tiedeman is the top performer in the CCAA in the assists/turnovers statistical category with a 2.2 mark on the season. Ernie Spada ranks first in league in three-point field goals per game with an average of 2.4.

Opponents Notes: Cal State Stanislaus has lost six of its last seven games, and brings 6-18 overall and 2-12 CCAA records into this week's action. The Warriors dropped a pair of games last week, falling to both Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona at home. But the previous weekend they knocked off San Francisco State, the same squad that defeated Humboldt State on Saturday. …Senior guard Benny Koochoie is the Warriors' leading scorer with an average of 12.8 points per game. Michael Dyson, a 6-6 senior center, averages 11.1 points and a team-best 7.2 rebounds per game. Chris Hayes and Casey Cutts provide long-range scoring, the former hitting 46 percent and the latter 48 percent from three-point range. …Like the Lumberjacks, the Warriors prefer an up-tempo game, and are averaging 71.3 points per outing. …Chico State has dropped five consecutive games, including four straight on its recent homestand. The Wildcats are 6-15 overall and 3-11 in league games. …Senior forward Andy Bocian is Chico's top scorer, averaging 20 points per game. He also tops his team in rebounding with 5.0 per contest.  Senior guard Justin Argenal scores 7.9 points per game and leads the CCAA with an average of 4.5 assists per game. His 2.0 assists/turnover ratio ranks second in league behind Tiedeman.

Wood's Words: "Cal State Stanislaus is a dangerous team that is capable of putting up a lot of points on any given night. We have to make a decision on whether to press them or play half court defense against them, and which style limits their effectiveness while still allowing us to play our best." … "Chico State has had many games where they have had a good chance to win at the end. To defend against them, you have to know where Bocian is at all times. And Argenal has hit hands on the ball about 75 percent of the time, and he manages to get the ball to the right guys at the right time. Both of them are seniors who would like to win."

Promotions: Friday features special activities as part of the NCAA's "Take a Kid To the Game Night" program. Activities for children will include player autographs sessions, magazine-cover photographs, safety kits sponsored by State Farm Insurance, and more.  … On Saturday the Jacks will do their part in enhancing awareness about breast cancer by participating in the "Pink Zone" promotion. All fans wearing pink to the game are eligible for prizes.

Roster: Humboldt State's roster is available online at the following link - http://hsujacks.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball&

Statistics: Season statistics and individual game boxscores can be found at the following web link - http://hsujacks.com/custompages/mbball/2008/teamstat.htm?path=mbball