ARCATA – To start the new year, the Jacks will face two Southern California teams they haven't seen in almost a whole year. Last Feb., Humboldt State finished two sweeps against Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Dominguez Hills, beating both the teams on the road and at home.
First, HSU travels to Cal State L.A., playing the Golden Eagles Friday, Jan. 6, at 5:30 p.m. The Jacks then turn around and face the Toros at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson on Saturday, Jan. 7, also with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off time.
"It's always a challenge going on the road in the California Collegiate Athletic Association," said head coach
Joddie Gleason. "It's the first of three So Cal swings, but we know we can't make any excuses for long travel days."
The Jacks stand in the No. 3 spot in the CCAA rankings at 9-1 overall, 5-1 in conference, winning their last five contests. The Golden Eagles are just two positions behind HSU with a 6-4 overall record, 4-2 against CCAA opponents. The Toros are itching to move out of the bottom of the CCAA rankings and looking for their first conference win. CSUDH has only won one of its seven non-conference games, putting the Toros at 1-12 overall, 0-6 in the CCAA.
Head-to-Head
Cal State L.A. gave HSU a good challenge on the road last Jan., losing by just one point, 71-70, but fell 73-63 to the Jacks at Lumberjack Arena. Humboldt State holds the upper hand in the overall series beating CSULA 9-of-14 games.
Cal State Dominguez Hills also dropped both of its games against Humboldt State last year. The Toros first lost 75-60 at home, before suffering a 75-40 defeat on the road. The all-time series against the Jacks is close, but HSU has won two more games than CSUDH (9-7).
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Lumberjacks Notes
Humboldt State has consistently ranked among the top half of the conference leaders in offense, but hasn't always had a top tier defense. The Jacks have since tightened up their defense and limited opponents to 55.6 points per game, putting them in the No. 1 spot on the CCAA leader board for scoring defense. Their .364 field goal percent defense also places them above the 11 other conference teams.
"We focus on field goal percentage defense by forcing our opponents to take hard shots, taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers," said Gleason. "A good offense is a good defense."
Gleason is proud of the way her players have been making better decisions offensively, ultimately helping them defensively as well. The Jacks like to push the tempo of the game—playing at a high-intensity—which Gleason attributes to "scoring in the high echelon."
However, when playing at a fast pace, impulsive decisions can occur, resulting in missed shots or turnovers. At practice, HSU has been focusing on taking good shots and recognizing what are good shots in transitions. The Jacks rank their shots on a grading-type scale. Shots with A's and B's mean higher quality shots, while shots with C's, D's or F's are not as great.
"We want to take shots that are A's and B's in scale," said Gleason. "We also want to force our opponents to take C-, D-, and F-type shots."
Lisa Petty has consistently been a top scorer for the Jacks, averaging 13.1 ppg and scoring in double-figures all but two games. Petty's not the only offensive weapon for HSU,
Caitie Richards and
Whitney Howard both average 11.4 ppg, with Richards heating up the past four games. Richards has scored in double-digits the last four games, including scoring 25 points against Cal State Stanislaus to earn her the CCAA Player of the Week honor.
Bree Halsey remains the top rebounder for HSU, averaging 8.7 rebounds per game. In conference games alone, Halsey averages 9.7 rpg, putting her in fifth place amongst other conference players. Petty trails three spots behind her on the CCAA leader board, averaging 8.5 rpg in conference contests.
Golden Eagles Notes
Cal State Los Angeles averages 71.2 ppg, while limiting its opponents to 67.3 ppg. Lacy Ramon is the Golden Eagles' leading scorer with an overall 15.7 ppg and 12.8 ppg against conference opponents to put her among the top 10 CCAA scorers. Ramon's 6.5 rebounds per game and 10 blocks lead the team. Tessondra Williams follows closely behind Ramon with 13.8 ppg. Williams' 7-for-14 shooting effort from behind the arc gives her a .500 shooting percentage to put her tied for the No. 1 spot among other CCAA three-point shooters.
Toros Notes
While Cal State Dominguez Hills may be struggling a little, Gleason knows the potential the Toros can have if taken too lightly. Porsha Davis leads the attack for CSUDH, averaging 8.7 ppg with 22 steals. Davis knows how to score, but she also knows when to pass and has dished out a team-high 16 assists. Sherrie Hughes dominates the boards for the Toros and has grabbed 100 rebounds in 13 games.
New Addition
Meghan Ringer joins the Humboldt State squad, transferring from Southern Utah mid-year. Ringer is a 6-foot forward in her second year of eligibility.
"It's always hard to join a program midseason," said Gleason. "Meghan has done a great job working hard to learn the system and get reps in. The current players are also doing a good job welcoming her. It's the first time we've ever had this situation."
Gleason's Gabs
"I think CSULA is a really good team. They're balanced in scoring and good offensively. It's tough to key in on one player because they have so many other players who can score on any given night." ... "We match well against CSULA because they're not that big. Their points come from the guard positions like us. It's hard to defend the three and take away the drive against them because they're quick." ... "We usually play Thursday and Saturday, but we've had back-to-back games before. We'll be fine bouncing back. We'll just refuel and ice bath after the game Friday." ... "It's always difficult to go into an opponent's home game when they're struggling because you never want to overlook them. In my experience, CSUDH is always a tough place to play at. Our veteran players know that and will have the same intensity as they do Friday. That's why you play the games, nothing is automatic."
