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Friday vs. Cal State Monterey Bay
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ARCATA, Calif. -- The Humboldt State men's basketball team takes its final road trip of the regular season as it faces Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay this weekend. The Lumberjacks take on the Otters Friday and the Pioneers Saturday. Both games tip off at 7:30 p.m.
 
HSU picked up home wins over Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State last weekend in Lumberjack Arena. The Jacks defeated the Warriors, 71-58, Thursday before completing the season sweep of the Wildcats with a 71-65 victory Friday.
 
A sell-out crowd was on hand for the Chico State victory. The Wildcats entered the game positioned on top of the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings.
 
"Our crowd generates an atmosphere like none other in the conference. Our players feed off of that energy," said Head Coach Steve Kinder. "It's something to be very proud of, our tradition here in Lumberjack Arena is tops in the West Region and continues to be that way. We have loyal, well-educated basketball fans that come out and support our team."
 
Calvin Young II stepped into the starting lineup Saturday and saw increased playing time after an injury to David Howard, and he made an impact. He averaged 14.5 points per game, 8.5 boards and was rewarded CCAA Player of the Week honors for his output. The Fresno, Calif., native also slammed down five dunks that ignited the Green and Gold clad crowd.
 
"It really does get the crowd going," said Kinder. "An old school coach would say, 'It's just two points on the score sheet', but that isn't the reality. The reality is, it gets his teammates juiced and fires them up. When Calvin dunks at home it creates a frenzy in the crowd."
 
With their 11-7 conference record and four CCAA games remaining, the Jacks are in position to continue their rapid rise up the standings. HSU is in a four-team tie for third place with Cal State Stanislaus, UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino.
 
"We take it one game at a time, one win at a time," said Kinder. "Little separates us from third place or sixth place. If we can string four wins together, we certainly can look at getting a seed in the tournament or co-championship if we get some help from above. So it is going to be interesting to see who can stay on their feet down the stretch. It's going to be survival of the fittest right now and that may not just be physically but mentally."
 
HSU faces Cal State Monterey Bay Friday, a team which currently sits at No. 7 in the conference standings. The Otters have won three of their last four games, including both games last weekend.
 
Cal State Monterey Bay leads the CCAA in total rebounds per game (34.7) and defensive rebounds per game (24.3). Greg Anderson, Cal State Monterey Bay's rebound leader, ranks fifth in the conference with 4.8 defensive boards a game. Evan Zeller is the Otters' scoring leader
and is tied for fourth in points per game average in the CCAA (15.1). The Mission Viejo, Calif., native scored 15 points in Saturday's 71-66 win over Cal State LA. Zeller has compiled 10 or more points in four of his last six games.
 
"The Otters are trending upward and are a well-coached team. They are a very fit and physical team, who has been on the rise as of late," said Kinder. "They certainly gave us everything we could handle here at home. It took a heroic last-second shot by Allan Guei to get the win. We are on high alert going down there and will make sure we have prepared for them in film study and practice."
 
As the regular season wraps up, Kinder believes his team will need no extra motivation as it looks to punch its ticket to the CCAA Tournament. HSU has missed the postseason the last two seasons.
 
"I don't think the team needs any incentive or inspirational speeches to get up for this Cal State Monterey Bay game," said Kinder. "They remember the Cal State Dominguez Hills game, our last loss on the road, and how difficult it was to play in that game. They also remember what a tough battle the Otters gave us here at home. I'm sure that we will be mentally prepared this weekend."