ARCATA, Calif. -- The Humboldt State men's basketball team looks to continue its success in Lumberjack Arena this week against visiting California Collegiate Athletic Association foes Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State.
 
The Lumberjacks host the Warriors Thursday before welcoming the arch rival Wildcats Saturday. Both games tip at 7:30 p.m.
 
Following a weekend road trip to southern California to face Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Dominguez Hills, HSU returns to the North Coast with a pair of pivotal league games up for grabs. The Green and Gold captured a road split last week with a Friday victory over the Golden Eagles before the Toros tripped them up the next day.
 
"It was a huge missed opportunity to pick up a road sweep, which was our ultimate goal," said Head Coach Steve Kinder. "Going into (Cal State) Dominguez Hills, we had a lot of excitement, momentum and other emotional highs in the locker room. We ran into a (Cal State) Dominguez Hills team that was prepared well and executed at a very high level the first half."
 
While Saturday's loss to the Toros was disappointing, Friday's victory was especially important. HSU's 70-69 win versus Cal State LA gave it separation from a team in the thick of the CCAA postseason race. Senior Allan Guei netted a season-high 24 points against the Golden Eagles and was 9-for-14 from the field.
 
Guei is the Jacks' second-best scorer and averages 14.8 points per game. The Compton, Calif., native has score 10 or more points in 12 of the team's last 13 games, a stretch which included four outings with more than 20 points.
 
"He is backbone of our program," said Kinder. "Allan is a tough kid who you can count on day in and day out, and it's a direct correlation on how he prepares at a high level and plays at a high level. He wishes he could have had a better performance last night Saturday night at Dominguez Hills with his home crowd, being from the Compton and Carson area. He had a lot of family there, and we needed to win. I know he is upset with (the result), but we will move on and I suspect he will be ready to play as usual."
 
HSU is 10-1 at home this season, its lone loss coming against Cal State San Bernardino back in November. But that record will be put to the test beginning with Thursday's game against Cal State Stanislaus. The Warriors outlasted the Jacks, 70-66, in their first meeting in Turlock, Calif.
 
Cal State Stanislaus is coming off a double-overtime victory against UC San Diego. Warriors' scoring leader Chris Read sank the game-winning shot and averages 12.2 points per game. The Warriors currently sit at the No. 3 spot in the CCAA standings.
 
"I am sure they are feeling good about themselves and where they are in the conference," said Kinder. "(They have to feel good about) the possibility of winning the conference championship. I am sure they want to come here and take care of business this weekend. Defensively, we are going to have to block off and not let them get a second opportunity on offense or defensive rebounds. We need to deny those lanes and be tough as we always are, especially at home. We are taking our 10-1 home record and putting it on the line."
 
HSU aims to repeat its success against Chico State Saturday. Guei sank an overtime game winner versus the Wildcats in the last meeting. Chico State has not lost a game since the HSU win and is riding a nine-game winning streak. The Wildcats sit atop the CCAA standings with a 16-5 overall record and 13-3 conference mark.
 
"(The) last time they lost was against us. If they take care of business at Cal State San Bernardino Thursday night then they will have a 10-game winning streak coming into our game," said Kinder. "They are in first place and trying to hold that. It's a rivalry game and a payback game. Coach Clink and I have a rivalry, a great friendship, but he is a rival too. I respect him completely and his program has certainly put itself on the map in the West Region over the last decade. He is doing a great job and it is going to be a great game."
 
Saturday's game will also feature a breast cancer awareness promotion – fans are invited to wear pink to support the cause – and the inaugural Teddy Toss. Fans interested in participating in the Teddy Toss, which will take place during the first media timeout of the men's game, can bring a stuffed animal to throw onto the court. All stuffed animals will be donated to Toys for Tots.