ARCATA – Not only is Humboldt State hosting its rival Chico State this week, the Jacks have to survive finals before California Collegiate Athletic Association competition resumes over the weekend. Head coach Joddie Gleason wants her players to focus on their studies and do their best in the classroom before battling it out on the court, yet still have the games against Chico State on Saturday and Cal State Stanislaus on Monday in the back of their minds—both games have a 5:30 p.m. tipoff time at Lumberjack Arena.

"There's always adversity to face during finals week, but the first focus is on our studies," said Gleason. "The team still realizes we have two big games this weekend, but those teams are in the same boat, plus they have to travel. We can't feel sorry for ourselves."

The Jacks currently stand in the No. 4 spot of the CCAA rankings with a 2-1 conference record, 6-1 overall. The Wildcats are right behind HSU, also at 2-1 in conference action, 5-2 overall. The Warriors have yet to win a CCAA game, standing 0-3 in conference and 3-4 overall.

Head-to-Head

Chico State—Gleason's alma mater—has beaten the Jacks 57 times, including a close 64-62 win at the first meeting of the two teams last year in Chico. Humboldt State turned around and grabbed one of its 18 wins against the Wildcats at home with a 76-60 result. Cal State Stanislaus and Humboldt State have faired fairly even, with the Warriors slightly edging out the Lumberjacks 29-27. Last year, the teams split the series with both teams winning at home. The Jacks first lost to CSUS on the road in a tight 81-78 finish, but claimed the second game 85-80 in front of their home crowd.

Multimedia

Every Lumberjack basketball game is broadcast live over the local airwaves on KATA 1340 AM, beginning with the pre-game shoe 15 minutes prior to game time. Bicoastal Media Sports Director J.B. Mathers describes the action from courtside. Fans can follow the action live on the hsujacks.com website via the Jacks' ustream account at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/humboldt-state-athletics where a video feed will be shown along with Mathers' play-by-play. Live stats can also be found at http://www.sidearmstats.com/humboldt/wbball/.

Lumberjack Notes

After claiming a 14-point victory over non-conference opponent Western Oregon, the Jacks return to conference action. Gleason gave her team three days off of official practice—they have to lift weights on their own—but that doesn't mean it's time for the Lumberjack squad to slack off. The team will use the time to focus on its studies so it can concentrate on the weekend's games once finals are out of the way. ... HSU currently is in second on the CCAA rankings for defensive rebounds with 26.6 rpg, led by Bree Halsey with 8.0 rpg (sixth in CCAA). The Jacks also stand in the No. 2 spot in field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage. Lisa Petty leads HSU with 13.0 ppg, followed closely by Whitney Howard—who has scored in double figures in every game but one—averaging 12.6 ppg. Kayla Williams' 4.3 assists per game land her in the second spot of the conference leaders, as well as help the Jacks rank fourth in assists amongst other CCAA teams. Patrice Saindon tops the CCAA in shooting percentage from behind the arc, shooting 7-for-10. Saindon also ranks in the conference's top three players with steals, averaging 2.9 steals per game.

Opponent Notes

The Chico State Wildcats come off a two-game sweep at the CCAA/Great Northwest Athletic Conference Challenge, beating Western Washington Friday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday. Synchro Bull scored 19 points against SPU, bringing her average to 12.0 ppg to tie her for 13th in the CCAA rankings with teammate Jazmine Miller. The Wildcats top the CCAA leader board their free throw percentage, led by Miller's .875 percentage. Chico State suffered its two losses against Cal State San Marcos 65-64 in overtime and to Dominican 51-48 in regulation—both teams the Jacks beat earlier this season.

Cal State Stanislaus enters the weekend after claiming a close 71-69 win over Notre Dame de Namur, breaking a three-game losing streak. The Warriors face Sonoma State before playing the Jacks Monday. Theresa Henderson leads the CCAA in scoring, averaging 19.6 ppg. Henderson, along with her teammate Lauren Godde, also tops the conference in rebounding with 9.3 rpg. 

Injury Update

Elle Anderson has been cleared to play and saw action in the game against Western Oregon. Gleason is excited to have Anderson back, but knows it could take time for Anderson to get in the reps to feel fully comfortable with the Jacks' system. Kelly Kime is still recovering from her injuries and won't see time on the court until after the holiday break.

Gleason's Gabs

"Chico is a solid team. They're really athletic and strong in the guard position. It'll be a good matchup there because that's one of our strong points too. It's always a battle with your rival. It's exciting and fun. It's what you train all year for." ... "Cal State Stanislaus is always a team that gives us battles. They defend very well and are very athletic. They like to harass and force turnovers so it's something we need to focus on."