ARCATA — Sharing the lead again in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, Humboldt State next takes on the team responsible for that situation, the Cal State Stanislaus Warriors. The Lumberjacks are also very aware that those same Warriors defeated them in December, partially contributing to the fact that they aren't on top of the league alone. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Lumberjack Arena.
Another tough opponent challenge the Jacks on Saturday. Chico State's Wildcats, who took the Jacks to overtime before falling on their home court in December, face HSU at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
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 and video are 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/ .
Head-to-Head
Cal State Stanislaus gained ground on the Lumberjacks with a 73-58 win earlier this season in Turlock. The Lumberjacks still lead the all-time series, however, 35-39. …One of Humboldt State's most long-standing rivals, Chico State, comes to town with a 105-71 in the series dating back to 1933. The Jacks defeated the Wildcats, 84-81 in overtime in Chico this year.
Head Coach Steve Kinder
The “Kinder Era” at HSU is off to an 16-2 start, including a 13-2 record in the CCAA. After serving as the Jacks' No. 1 assistant for the past 20 seasons, Kinder took over for his mentor, Tom Wood, in 2010-11. As an assistant, he played critical roles in recruiting and coaching while helping the Jacks' 217-77 record achieved during the past decade. Kinder is a former HSU basketball player who was a member of the 1984-85 NCAC championship team. He previously served as a graduate assistant coach for the Lumberjacks (1986-88).
Projected Starters
G - #4 Brandon Sperling, 6-5, Jr., Fresno
F - #15
Elliot Babcock-Krenk, 6-3, Sr., Lake Oswego, Ore.
F - #21 Randy Hunter, 6-6, Jr., Santa Maria
F - #21
Kyle Baxter, 6-9, Jr., Sacramento
C - #32
Brian Morris, 6-9, Sr., Portland, Ore.
Lumberjack Notes
Two wins started the four-game home-stand off in a positive fashion, improving the Jacks' record to 16-2 overall and 13-2 in league games. They currently share the CCAA lead with Cal State Dominguez Hills following the Toros' loss to CSU Stanislaus. “(CSU) Stanislaus is a good team that can play at the highest level on a given night,” HSU head coach
Steve Kinder said. “That, plus the drive to Turlock from Chico the next day, has proven to be difficult, and that was clear in the CSU Dominguez Hills' loss and our own loss down there.” …Humboldt State ranked 22nd in last week's national poll and third in the West Region rankings. The next national listing is due out late Tuesday and the regional poll will be released Wednesday. …The Lumberjacks also rank nationally in a number of statistical categories. As a team, their .889 win-loss percentage is 11th best in the nation, and the Jacks' scoring margin of 12.5 points per game is 24th best in Division II. Individually,
Brian Morris' .583 field goal percentage is 31st nationally, and teammate Randy Hunter's .545 is 61st overall. …Humboldt State's best start in program history is a 20-2 mark achieved during the 2002-03 season. HSU finished that season with a 23-6 record.
Opponents' Notes
Cal State Stanislaus has proven to be the giant killer in league thus far, with victories over the Lumberjacks and Cal State Dominguez Hills, the current CCAA co-leaders. Both wins have come on the Warriors' home court. Overall, CSUS brings an 8-1 mark into the week. The Warriors have a 6-8 record in CCAA games. …Reggie Jones, the CSU Stanislaus 6-9 forward, ranks sixth in the CCAA in scoring with an average of 14.8 points per game. Dan Daviess is the squad's best 3-point marksman, knocking down 28 for a .418 shooting percentage. …Chico State is 10-8 heading into the week's contests, and stands 6-8 in league games thus far. The Wildcats have a 9-4 record in their own Acker Gymnasium, but are 1-4 away from home. …Senior forward Roderick Hawkins leads the Wildcats in scoring with an average of 12.1 points per game. He's one of four players averaging in double digits, including Sean Park (11.9), Jay Flores (11.5), and Damario Sims (11.4).
Kinder's Quotes
“The last time we played Cal State Stanislaus we had a number of factors that caused us problems.
Brian Morris got in foul trouble, and the travel to Turlock the next day after Chico has proven to be difficult. But they've shown themselves to be a formidable opponent, most recently with last week's win over Cal State Dominguez Hills.” … “The rivalry with Chico State continues. When we were over there, I think our new players quickly got a sense of that when they saw their student section sold out.” …”This is a good week to concentrate on team discipline. It's about how we show up mentally and physically prepared for practice. We'll go back to basics to make sure there aren't any cracks in our foundation. We'll try to tighten is all up.”
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