ARCATA - After the second extended break of the season, Humboldt State seeks to tip off the New Year with a winning pair of California Collegiate Athletic Association contests.

     Following an 18-day layoff at the end of November, the Lumberjacks will take to the floor for the first time in 13 days on Friday night.

     HSU restarts league action and the 'meat' of its schedule at Cal State Monterey Bay Friday evening and a Saturday tilt at Cal State East Bay.

Complete Notes Packet

   


 At CSU Monterey Bay's Otter Sports Complex on Friday night:

     Live Audio: socialstreamingplayer.crystalmedianetworks.com/radio/kataam
     Live Video: www.otterathletics.com/sports/2007/11/6/listenlive.aspx?id=62
     Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/csumb/wbball/

    At CSU East Bay's Pioneer Gym on Saturday night:

     Live Audio: socialstreamingplayer.crystalmedianetworks.com/radio/kataam
     Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/csueastbay/wbball/

     Part III of season begins in New Year

     • For the third and final time, HSU will rev up its motors for the longest and majority of its 2014 part of the season schedule.

     • The North Coast club will play a pair of games for each of the next nine weekends with all being against CCAA foes -- 10 on the road and eight taking place in Lumberjack Arena.

     Part I - November Tournaments

     • The Jacks started off with a pair of solid weekend tournaments for a 3-1 mark to head into the first break coming over the Thanksgiving holiday.

        -Following a five-point loss to ninth-ranked Seattle Pacific, HSU outlasted defending West Region champion Western Washington the next night.

        -The Jacks swept through two PacWest Conference teams the next weekend with wins over both Academy of Art and Dominican

     Part II - December CCAA contests

     • HSU saw the second part of its season not fare as well in the second month.  The team moved to its opening four conference contests.

        -The Jacks split a home pair by falling to UC San Diego and taking care of CSU San Bernardino.  In two similar affairs, HSU dropped both ends of its home-and-home series on consecutive Saturdays to Cal Poly Pomona to finish out the 2013 part of the schedule.

     Jacks face first new opponent in a month

     • In the way of CCAA 'Travel Partners,' HSU will be have a different foe line up across from it for the first time since December 7.

     • The Jacks played their home-and-home series against the Broncos of Cal Poly Pomona (Dec. 14 & 21).

     • HSU's upcoming opponents, Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay find themselves in similar situations playing each other in the same format to finish out the month of December as well.

     Jacks search for difference making areas for successful New Year

     • HSU will concentrate on recapturing it successful formula from the opening month where it won three of four games into the bulk of its extended run.

     • What will the Jacks do to bring this success to fruition?

     • Coach Gleason on her team's focus:

     "We are working on getting back into  playing shape these first few days of practice.  Everybody is in the same boat with regards to the NCAA mandated time off so it will be necessary for our team to be focused on practicing with urgency and getting ourselves ready for the tough CCAA schedule ahead.

     We need to continue to improve at the defensive end to force our opponents into lower percentage shots.  An area where we are continuing to focus is rebounding and preventing easy looks in the low post."

     HSU set to snap pair of losing streaks

     • For success and to start off the New Year in a positive way, HSU will have to snap a couple losing streaks to its CCAA opponents.

     • The Jacks have fell short in the last two meetings with Cal State Monterey Bay and the past three outings against Cal State East Bay.

     HSU team CCAA team ratings

     • As a team, the Jacks lay claim to the top spot in three team statistical categories to this point of the season amongst conference opponents.

        -HSU leads the 12 league squads in three-pointers made and attempted with an average of 8.1 made and 23.5 fired from long-range, while its 34.6% success rate is second.

        -The team has also been the best from the charity stripe by hitting 124 of 159 tries for 78.0%...its 15.5 free throws made per night is third best.

     HSU players among the CCAA leaders

     •Kersey Wilcox -- 1st in scoring (18.9 ppg), 1st Free Throw% (94.5% -- 52 of 55) 1st Free Throws/game (6.5 made),  2nd in assists (6.5 apg with 52), 4th 3FG% (42.9%) & 5th in Field goals/game (5.6 made)

     •Jae Shin -- 1st 3FG/game (3.9), 3rd in 3FG% (43.1%) & 11th in scoring (14.1 ppg)

     •Megan Shields -- 1st in blocks (2.4 bpg -- 19), 4th defensive rebounds/game (6.2), 8th in rebounding (8.3 rpg), 9th FG% (48.4%) & 9th in Free Throws made/game (3.1)

     •Elle Anderson -- 2nd in offensive rebounds/game (3.6) & 6th rebounding (8.1 rpg) 

     •Kelly Kime -- T12th rebounding (6.7 rpg)

     CSU Monterey Bay (3-4/0-4 CCAA):

• Looks for its first CCAA victory of the year

    • Outscored by 47 combined points in the first four league contests or an average of 11.8 points per game.

     • Dropped its last four games after starting the year with three non-league victories over Dixie State, Southwest Minnesota State and Notre Dame de Namur -- won the games by a combined 55 points or 18.3 points per game. 

     • Own the longest current winning streak of the CCAA at five games

     • Has yet to play outside of the San Francisco Bay area this season

    • Friday marks the Otters' fifth home contest in eight games of the year.

    • Coached by first-year head coach Kerri Nakamoto ... she goes to team after being the associate head coach at Cal Poly the last eight years ... helped the Mustangs to two Big West regular season titles (2011 & 2012), before being part of the NCAA bid earning team last season

• Otters have qualified for the NCAA Tournament each of the last three season with the 2012 CCAA Tournament title and 2011 CCAA Regular Season title.

• Otters won both ends of the series vs. the Jacks last season including a 59-49 decision in Seaside ... CSUMB led 32-21 at half and HSU was able to only get back to within six points twice in the last six minutes.

• CSUMB ranks behind only HSU in three-pointers made per game with 7.7

     • Junior Nikki Beckman leads the Otters with 11.4 points and 4.4 assists per game.

     HSU coach Gleason on the Otters:

"Cal State Monterey Bay has a veteran team that is used to winning and knows how to do so.   They have played everybody close and just haven't come up on the winning side in conference yet, but will definitely be a tough competitor on Friday.  It is such a battle in the CCAA night in and night out and wins never come easy.  CSUMB have many weapons from beyond the three-point line and take a lot of their shots from downtown.  We must recognize this tendency and not let them get hot from the three-point line." 

     CSU East Bay (6-5/3-1 CCAA):

     • CSUEB will try to keep its CCAA December success going this weekend 

    • Pioneers won three of four contests to open its league season including sweeping the home-and-home series with CSU Monterey Bay to finish the 2013 schedule (66-59 at home and 64-46 at CSUMB)

     • Opened the year with three-straight losses with the first two coming to top 10 ranked foes in Concordia-St. Paul and Emporia State

     • Took part in the same CCAA/PacWest Challenge with HSU ... also swept Dominican and Academy of Art like the Jacks

     • Stands 6-4 against DII competition with one loss at NCAA DI Nevada

    • Coached by fourth-year head coach Suzy Barcomb ... won over 200 games in 12 years directing the University of Puget Sound before heading to CSU East Bay ... claimed 275 career victories in 417 games (.659), while 38-55 directing the Pioneers

• CSUEB picked fifth in the CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll with 80 points

• Pioneers have won the last three games vs. the Jacks.

• CSUEB won 66-54 last Jan. 11th in the last meeting in Hayward ... CSUEB led by 14 at half and HSU could get no closer than 55-49 down the stretch ... Brianna Terrance hit for 19 points and six rebounds ... Elle Anderson and Jain Tuey had eight points each for HSU

• CSUEB leads the CCAA in blocked shots per game at 3.4, while third in turnovers per night (15.3)

     • F Brianna Terrance is second in CCAA with 6.5 field goals made/game & 6th in scoring

     • C Danielle Peacon is 2nd in league with 1.5 blocks per night & 2nd on team at 12.3 ppg

    Coach Gleason on the Pioneers:

    "Cal State East Bay is playing extremely well right now as is evident by their 3-1 conference record.  

    Their posts are their top two leading scorers so that is an obvious area for us to focus on, however, their guard play can not be over looked.  They attack off the dribble very well and have a knack for getting to the free throw line. They are balanced in their scoring and have multiple weapons which doesn't allow the opponent to focus on one or two players.  It has to be a total team effort of focus and intensity at the defensive in to get stops."