ARCATA — One bright day can quickly turn gloomy, the Humboldt State men's basketball team found out last week. Thursday's exciting win over San Francisco State was followed by Saturday's heartbreaking loss to Sonoma State, but like the Humboldt County weather as of late, the sun can still shine brightly on the Lumberjacks despite the chilly temperature.
Humboldt State, 6-8 overall and 2-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, takes that attitude on the road this week, seeking consistent success when the Lumberjacks face Cal State Los Angeles on Friday and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday. Both games tip-off at 7:30 p.m., and can be listened to and viewed live through links provided on the
hsujacks.com web site.
Cal State Los Angeles begins the week with a 9-6 record, and is 6-4 in the CCAA following home wins over Chico State (54-53) and Cal State Stanislaus (64-58) last week. Cal State Dominguez Hills is 10-7 in all games and 6-4 in league after defeating Cal State Stanislaus, 66-55, and Chico State, 67-41, last week.
Head-to-Head
Most of the Lumberjacks' games against this week's Southern California opponents have occurred since HSU joined the CCAA in 2006. They've enjoyed success against both schools, holding a 11-3 lead over Cal State Los Angeles and 11-4 advantage in the series with Cal State Dominguez Hills. Last year the Jacks went 2-1 against CSULA, the lone loss coming at the Eagles' Nest and both wins – one regular season and one CCAA postseason – coming in Lumberjack Arena. HSU swept the home-and-away series against CSUDH in 2012-13.
On-the-Air
Humboldt State basketball can be once again heard over the airwaves on KATA, 1340 AM, the North Coast's ESPN radio affiliate. BiCoastal Media Sports Director J.B. Mathers describes the action. Airtime is 7:15 p.m. The broadcast will also be streamed live at
http://socialstreamingplayer.crystalmedianetworks.com/radio/kataam.
Streaming Video
Watch the Jacks' game against Cal State Los Angeles live online by directing your internet browser to http://www.calstatela.edu/athletics/Main.html. Video of Saturday's game at the Torodome can be accessed at http://www.gotoros.com/sports/2008/7/23/TorosLive.aspx.
LiveStats
Live statistics for Friday's contest can be accessed at http://www.calstatela.edu/athletics/Main.html. Saturday's statistics will be updated at http://www.sidearmstats.com/dominguez/mbball/scoreboard.aspx.
Projected Starters
Humboldt State Lumberjacks
Guard – #15 Nathan Hentley, 6-1, 170, So. from Springfield, Mass.
Guard – #24 Austin Bryan, 6-4, 200, Jr. from Wenatchee, Wash.
Forward – #32 Darren Turpin, 6-4, 205, Sr. from Compton
Forward – #2 Deaundray Robinson, 6-5, 185, Jr. from Baton Rouge, La.
Forward – #55 Brett McConnell, 6-7, 225, Jr. from Mountain View
Cal State LA Golden Eagles
Guard – #1 Joshua Munzon, 6-1, Fr, from Long Beach
Guard – #15 Quinton Watkins, 6-4, Jr. from Inglewood
Forward – #3 James Tilmon, 6-6, Jr. from Oakland
Forward – #10 Solomon Singer, 6-5, Jr. from Santa Monica
Center – #23 Jordan Richard, 6-9, Sr. from Rancho Cucamonga
CSU Dominguez Hills Toros
Guard – #4 Matt Cain, 5-10, 175, Sr. from LaPalma
Guard – #11 Myron Green, 6-4, 210 Sr. from Long Beach
Guard – #24 Pierson Williams, 6-4, 190 Jr. from Sylmar
Forward – #3 DeShaun Freeman, 6-7, Jr. from Los Angeles
Forward – #44 Lamine Diame, 6-7, 200, Sr. from Senegal, Africa
Injury Report
Deaundray Robinson is recovering from minor bumps and bruises resulting from last week's games, and is expected to be 100 percent by Friday's tip-off. …Junior Aaron Chamberlain remains inactive. An eye injury suffered three weeks ago remains problematic, preventing Chamberlain from undergoing concussion symptoms testing.
Lumberjack Notes
Playing their best basketball of the season for 75 minutes wasn't enough to produce a pair of wins last week, so Humboldt State head coach Steve Kinder will address the other five minutes that resulted in a split of two games at home. …As the Jacks finish the first half of CCAA play, the focus remains on themselves. "The style of playing high octane and using pressing tactics that we're embracing demands that we concentrate on improving, player by player," Kinder said. "Our job as coaches is to adjust that style specific to the team we're playing." …Eleven different Lumberjacks averaged double figures in minutes played last week, a trend necessitated by the Jacks' up-tempo style. Rakim "Rocky" Brown was particularly productive during his 16 minutes per game, averaging a team-high 14 points per game. "Rocky has been a great shot in the arm for us," Kinder said, about the forward who joined the Jacks three weeks ago. "His minutes vs. points produced is at a high level. As he becomes more comfortable, he'll get more shots up. He's literally learning hour-by-hour." …Brett McConnell continued to utilize his new-found court-time, averaging a team-high six rebounds per game and blocking five shots in his second and third starts as a Lumberjack. …As Humboldt State starts its spring semester Tuesday, the Lumberjacks' must once again divide their time between the court and classroom. "School starting is a real positive," Kinder said. "It gets players back in a structured mode of getting up for morning classes and getting to bed at a reasonable time. If you're getting it accomplished in the classroom, there's a high correlation with getting it done on the court."
Cal State Los Angeles Notes
Cal State Los Angeles is the top rebounding team in the CCAA with an average of 42.9 boards per game. The Eagles' margin of 8.4 more rebounds than its opponents is also a league-high. … Center Jordan Richard leads the conference with an average of 9.5 rebounds per game, and is the league's top shot blocker, averaging 4.6. …Forward James Tillman and guard Joshua Munzon both average double digits in scoring with marks of 16.1 and 11.1 points per game, respectively. … CSLA's only loss in the past five games was a 71-65 decision dropped to San Francisco State, the team HSU found solid success against last Thursday. …"I'm not sure if they're the Los Angeles Golden Eagles or Los Angeles Lakers," Kinder said. "They're long, athletic and talented. They've had some lapses where they didn't show their best, but if they played to their maximum potential every game they'd be undefeated."
Cal State Dominguez HIlls Notes
Tied for third in the CCAA with travel partner Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Dominguez Hills is looking for its fourth and fifth consecutive wins this week. …The Toros' offensive production is spread throughout the lineup, with only DeShaun Freeman scoring in double figures. The junior forward averages 11.8 points per game. …Senior Lamine Diame ranks third in the CCAA in rebounding with an average of 8.0 per contest.
Kinder's Comments
"We must make sure we understand how well we played on Thursday and for about 35 minutes Saturday, then transition those positive minutes into 80 minutes of back-to-back games. Using a full roster of players is key for us." …"We had many moments from last week's games that indicated we're gelling as a team and making progress. Every player is a little bit better now. the camaraderie is better, and we're acting as a team on and off the court."
