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FULL GAME NOTES

  ARCATA, Calif. – After completing its toughest conference road trip, Humboldt State women's basketball starts the California Collegiate Athletic Association second half in the friendly confines of Lumberjack Arena.

     The Lumberjacks look to repeat their CCAA-opening weekend sweep of the rival Seawolves of Sonoma State Thursday and the Gators of San Francisco State Saturday. Both games tip at 5:30 p.m.
 
     Fans are encouraged to attend this weekend's homestand. The first 500 students at Thursday night's doubleheader, with men's basketball at 7:30 p.m., will receive a free HSU cup. Saturday is the HSU corporate partner/season ticket scholarship appreciation night. Forever Humboldt is also holding a pregame reception at Humbrews in Arcata at 4 p.m.
 
     HSU bounced back Saturday with a 67-64 victory at UC San Diego after having its program-tying 13-game winning streak come to an end against at defending champion Cal Poly Pomona (85-52) the previous evening.
 
     "It wouldn't have been the end of our season (if the team had lost Saturday). It was big to get the split on the road as losing that first game makes it tough," said Head Coach Joddie Gleason. "We tried to wipe the slate clean and come out and play on Saturday. I felt the team responded and played very hard against a good UCSD team."
 
     The Jacks' 13-game win streak tied the longest in program history set by the 1993-94 team. This season's win streak was the longest regular season run as the 1993-94 squad's 13th win in a row came in the NCAC postseason playoffs.
 
     "I have been on some good teams and coached some good teams. This is just a great group of players. For us to have the win streak, it was fun and I hope we can continue it (winning)," said the Jacks' coach. "Our league is super competitive as there are always teams ranked nationally and regionally. We want to have the record at the end of the year of winning a conference championship and that is our goal."
 
     Lumberjack Arena has been a friendly place for HSU. The Jacks have a perfect 7-0 record this season and have won the last nine games played on their home court.
 
     HSU finished last year with victories over Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Dominguez Hills, before it ran off seven wins this year.
 
     The Jacks also hold a seven-game CCAA home win streak. They have won all five league home games this season.
 
MAINTAIN CCAA'S TOP SPOT
     Despite falling last Friday, HSU maintains the CCAA's top spot after the first round of league games.

     Winners of 15 of their last 16 conference contests dating back to last season's final two weeks, the Jacks (11-1) hold a one-game lead over both Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona, both 9-2.
 
JACKS REMAIN AT NO. 25   
     For the second week in a row, HSU is ranked in the latest USA TODAY DII Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Jacks stayed at the No. 25 spot despite dropping to 86 points from 137 a week ago.

     Cal Poly Pomona moved up to 29 points as the next CCAA member. Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State San Bernardino complete the league members with seven and six points, respectively.

     In the inaugural D2SIDA Women's Basketball Division II Media Poll, HSU fell seven spots to No. 24 from No. 17 last week.
 
AIM FOR PAIR OF RIVAL SWEEPS
     Following wins in 11 of the 12 CCAA games, HSU has its first two opportunities to complete season sweeps of opponents this week. The Jacks recorded season sweeps against only Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State San Bernardino a year ago.
 
     On Thursday night, HSU looks for its first sweep of Sonoma State in four seasons. The Jacks swept the Seawolves during the 2011-12 campaign (57-54 at HSU & 55-44 at SSU). The two rivals split the series in each of the last two years. HSU grabbed a 61-49 victory on Dec. 6 in Rohnert Park.
 
     "Sonoma State is a good team. Many people look at their record and think that it is going to be easy (for us). Nothing about this game is going to be easy," said Gleason. "They're long and take up a lot of room. You never get the open post feed since they help and rotate very well. Sonoma State is a tough team to play against as they want to keep the game (score) down and we want to get out and go. It is kind of a battle of wills."
 
     HSU aims to prevent San Francisco State from getting its first victory of the season Saturday night. Like the Sonoma State series, HSU has not swept the San Francisco State series in the same three-year time frame  (66-61 at HSU & 51-34 at SFSU). The two teams split the last pair of seasons. The Jacks won 73-57 in San Francisco on Dec. 5.
   
TWO P'S MAKING THEIR MARKS
     It was two HSU P's – Neika Puryear and Nikki Powell, who led the charge last weekend. Puryear paced the Jacks' attack in both games. The junior was the lone double-digit scorer with 10 points at Cal Poly Pomona. She also had three rebounds, three assists and two steals in the game.
 
     The shooting guard added a team-high 16 points including seven of the team's final 12 points in the win at UC San Diego. She averaged 13 points and 2.5 rebounds in the contests.
 
     Powell moved into the starting lineup the last two weeks and has produced. After grabbing only four rebounds Friday, the senior had her best game of the year Saturday. She hit for 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds, blocked four shots and stole four balls.
 
     "We tell Nikki to be yourself and go out and do what you do," said Gleason. "She had one of her best games against UCSD. Nikki was a rebounding machine. She changed shots, blocked shots and was a real force on the defensive end and that is what we want her to do."
 
Scouting Sonoma State:
• Coached by Mark Rigby – holds a 242-236 record over 18 years directing the team.
• SSU leads 39-33 all-time series vs HSU
• Split series last year with each team winning on its home court
• Dropped the last three meetings play in Lumberjack Arena
• SSU last win in Arcata came in a 73-65 win on Nov. 27, 2010
• Won five-straight games after losing to HSU (61-49) on Dec. 6.
• Since the winning streak, Seawolves have dropped their last six contests – four of them on the road
• At home last weekend – lost vs. Cal State Los Angeles (78-66) on Friday. Hannah Sourek scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead against the Golden Eagles.
fell 64-46 to Cal State Dominguez Hills. Molly Donovan came off the bench to score 12 points and Sourek added 11.
• In the first meeting vs. HSU – Sourek made 8-of-12 shots for 18 points and pulled down five rebounds.
• Sourek is 7th in the CCAA scoring at 13.8 ppg and 10th in rebounding at 6.7 rpg
• Taylor Acosta is second on SSU's scorers at 9.1 ppg.
• PG Tanner Adams is 8th in 3FG/G at 1.6 and her 26 3-pointers rates 10th. She averages 7.9 ppg.
• Madison Burroughs has 35 assists.
 
Scouting San Francisco State:
• Coached by Dennis Cox – the winningest active DII head coach. Comes from Clayton (Ga.) State where he posted 267 wins in 10 seasons.
• Gators hold slight 33-32 edge in all-time series vs. HSU
• Split the season series with each team winning at home – HSU claimed a 93-85 win in Arcata (1-11-14)
• SF last win in Lumberjack Arena was a 59-52 win on Jan. 17, 2013
• Look for first victory of the season and for head coach Dennis Cox
• Lost both contests at home last weekend:
    * 65-56 against Cal State Dominguez Hills. Won the second half, 35-31, against CCAA's 2nd-place team. Michelle Sutton netted 15 points and Kristian Juarez had 13.
     * Cal St. LA went out to a 43-16 lead and defeated SFSU, 68-35. Jayzyl Tauala totaled 12 points off the Gator bench.
• Six SFSU players average more than 5.6 ppg and 12 different players have started games.
• Sutton paces the SF attack with a 10.9 ppg average.
• Jasmine Flanagan is 5th in CCAA for steals (2.0 spg) and 9th in assists (3.1)
• Savannah Camp adds 9.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg