ARCATA — Seniors Darren Turpin and Tyler Brown will be honored in a special ceremony prior to Humboldt State's final home game, Friday night's contest against Cal State Los Angeles. Two days earlier, the Lumberjacks will face Cal State Dominguez Hills in another important game that the Jacks must win to keep their hopes for a California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament berth alive.

The unusual Wednesday-Friday schedule allows qualifying teams to prepare their travel plans for the first round of the CCAA Championships. Both of this week's games tip off at 7:30 p.m.

Cal State Dominguez Hills currently ranks fifth in the CCAA standings with an 11-9 league record and 15-12 overall mark. The Toros have clinched a position in the CCAA postseason, but could potentially improve their seed and earn a first round home game with wins this week.

Cal State L.A. has likewise earned a berth in the tournament and enters the week 12-8 in conference and 15-9 for the entire season. The Golden Eagles currently share fourth place with Chico State.
 
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 11-4 lead over Cal State Los Angeles and 12-4 advantage in the series with Cal State Dominguez Hills. In the first round of CCAA play in late January, the Lumberjacks lost to Cal State L.A., 77-70, then bounced back the next night to earn a 57-54 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills.

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' games live online by directing your internet browser to http://www.ustream.tv/channel/humboldt-state-athletics. Video and audio begin 15 minutes prior to tip-off.
 
LiveStats
Live statistics for both of this week's games can be accessed at http://www.sidearmstats.com/humboldt/mbball/scoreboard.aspx

Projected Starters
Humboldt State Lumberjacks
Guard – #22 Cody Kale, 6-3, 190, Jr. from Rocklin
Guard – #24 Austin Bryan, 6-4, 200, Jr. from Wenatchee, Wash.
Forward – #4, Rakim Brown, 6-6, 198, Jr. from Fresno
Forward – #2 Deaundray Robinson, 6-5, 185, Jr. from Baton Rouge, La.
Forward – #34 Thomas Witzel, 6-7, 235, Fr. from Arcata

CSU Dominguez Hills Toros
Guard – #4 Matt Cain, 5-10, 174, Sr. from La Palma
Guard – #11 Myron Green, 6-4, 210, Sr. from Long Beach
Foward – #24 Pierson Williams, 6-5, 190, Jr. from Sylmar
Forward – #34 Ryan Jefferson, 6-6, 210, Sr. from Rancho Cucamonga
Forward – #44 Lamine Diame, 6-7, 200, Sr. from Senegal, Africa

Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles
Guard – #1 Joshua Munzon, 6-2, Fr. from Santa Clarita
Guard – #15 Quinton Watkins, 6-4, Jr. from Inglewood
Foward – #3 James Tillman, 6-6, Jr. from Oakland
Forward – #40 Julian Camper, 6-4, Jr. from Long Beach
Forward – #23 Jordan Richard, 6-9, Sr. from Rancho Cucamonga

Injury Report
Both Austin Bryan and Rocky Brown sustained ankle injuries last weekend. Bryan is still experiencing difficulty, but is probable for Wednesday. Brown is expected to be at 100 percent this week.

Seniors
Tyler Brown has been an unselfish player during his three-years as a member of the Lumberjack program. When the HSU roster was severely thinned by injuries, Brown sacrificed his redshirt season in 2011 and was activated at the semester break. The 6-2 guard from Sacramento has moved into a more prominent role this season, contributing significant minutes off the bench.

Head Coach Steve Kinder on Tyler Brown: "Tyler learned to bleed green and gold during his time with our program. He improved every day, every month, and every year. That continual progress has worked him into an important role this season."

Darren Turpin transferred to Humboldt State from Navarro Community College for the 2011-12 season. During his two years with the program, Turpin has embraced his role as an undersized post, finding success on both ends of the court against much taller players. His contribution was critical to the Jacks' win over San Francisco State this season when he led the team with 18 points.

Head Coach Steve Kinder on Darren Turpin: "Turp has given us two years of his heart and soul. His toughness and courage have added vital elements to our roster each season. He's a player who you can count on. He never falters, and is extremely reliable."

Lumberjack Notes
Tough road losses followed two exciting wins the previous week, deflating the Lumberjacks' momentum. They bring a 7-13 CCAA record into this week's action, and are now 11-13 overall. …Free throw shooting continues to be one of the Jacks' strengths. They currently rank first in the league in both attempts per game (23.7 average) and made per game (17.2). They're second in free throw shooting percentage at 72.2, and Austin Bryan lists fourth, individually, making 85.4 percent of his attempts. …Junior forward Deaundray Robinson has put together back-to-back solid weekends, making him one of the most consistent Lumberjacks as of late. He's averaged 13.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during that stretch, also shooting 50 percent from the field.

Cal State Dominguez Hills Notes
Having locked up a tournament spot, the Toros primary motivation may be avenging the 57-54 loss the Jacks dealt them on their home court on Jan. 26. On that occasion, the Jacks trailed by as many as 10 points before taking their first lead on a Rocky Brown layup with 3 minutes, 4 seconds remaining. …CSU Dominguez Hill has been on a roll lately, winning five of its last six games. The streak was briefly interrupted when Chico State defeated the Toros, 76-59 last Friday. …Junior guard Givon Crump is the only Toro consistently scoring in double figures with an average of 10.2 points per game. …Senior center Lamine Diame ranks third in the CCAA in rebounding with an average of 8.2 boards per game.

Cal State Los Angeles Notes
Chico State abruptly ended CSU L.A.'s winning streak, snapping the string of five victories with a 70-60 win Saturday. …When the teams met on Jan. 25, HSU fell behind by as many as 13 points before rallying late in the game. The Lumberjacks cut the Toros' lead to five points with 33 seconds remaining, but CSUDH preserved the win by hitting its free throws. …Junior James Tillman has been the driving force behind Cal State L.A.'s success, ranking 6th in the league in scoring at 16.5 points per game. Jordan Richard, a 6-9 senior, is having an astounding defensive season, and currently ranks No. 1 nationally in blocked shots with 107 smack-backs for an average of 4.5 per game. He also ranks second in the CCAA in rebounding with 8.5 boards per game.

Kinder's Comments
"Cal State Dominguez Hills is a team with a variety of weapons. Their scoring is extremely well-balanced. Anyone of their players could go off on a given night, so you can't key on anyone in particular." …"Cal State L.A. has a premier shot blocker in Jordan Richard. He intimidates anyone all the way to 10 feet away from the basket." …"Our style of play forced (CSLA) into 28 turnovers in our first game. We'll continue to play up-tempo, fast-paced Lumberjack basketball and look for the same result."