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ARCATA, Calif. – Humboldt State men's basketball looks to build on its best conference start since the 2010-11 season as it hosts No. 20 Chico State and Stanislaus State this week.
 
The Lumberjacks put their seven-game winning streak on the line Thursday, Jan. 7, versus the nationally-ranked Wildcats and then welcome the Warriors to Lumberjack Arena Saturday, Jan. 9. Both games tip off at 7:30 p.m.

HSU went 2-0 in conference play last week and put itself in a four-way tie atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings. The two wins also gave the Green and Gold national credibility and they are receiving voted in both the National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 and the D2SIDA polls.
 
"We didn't get much respect in terms of preseason polling in the conference and in the West Region," said Head Coach Steve Kinder. "We have a chip on our shoulder. We want to show people we are for real and we are tough."
 
Thursday's meeting with rival Chico State will present the biggest threat to HSU's undefeated, 9-0, home record. The Wildcats are one of four teams tied for the CCAA's top spot and have won eight of their last nine games. Chico State's last three opponents averaged just 60.0 points. The only blemish on the Wildcats' conference record was a three-point, 61-58, road loss to Sonoma State.
 
Junior guard Robert Duncan leads the Wildcats in scoring and assists. He averages 15.2 points and 4.6 assists per game. Duncan averaged 14.5 points in both games against the Jacks last season.
 
HSU swept the Wildcats during the 2014-15 campaign and won both games by a combined seven points.
 
"This is a rivalry game, and the series has a storied history," said Kinder. "The Wildcats are big, strong, well-coached and disciplined. They believe they can win, and it will be a great game."
 
Stanislaus State is coming off a 68-60 loss to Cal State San Marcos. The Warriors are one of the conference's lowest scoring teams and average just 67.4 points per game compared the HSU's league-leading 89.3 points per game.
 
The Warriors have a pair of double-digit scorers led by sophomore guard Christian Bayne. He averages 15.4 points per game and is not afraid to shoot from long distance. Bayne leads Stanislaus State in shooting from outside the arc and is connecting on 45.7 percent of his 3-point attempts. He also leads the team with 40 assists.
 
Senior Rakim Brown earned CCAA Player of the Week honors for the second time this season Tuesday. Brown averaged 20.5 points and 12 rebounds in last week's wins. He notched his fifth double-double of the season on Saturday with his 14-point, 15-rebound performance versus San Bernardino.
 
Brown was the conference's player of the week, but freshman Tyras Rattler also deserves recognition for his output. Rattler averaged 16.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in his last three starts. The Oakland, Calif., native is also shooting 51.4 percent from the field during the stretch. He matched a season-high with 17 points against the Coyotes on 6-of-13 shooting.
 
"We are far from a finished product," said Kinder. "The team is still learning how to play together and improve defensively. We are trying to learn from our wins, and hopefully by March we can reach our potential."
 
Thursday night is HSU's annual Teddy Bear Toss game. Fans are encouraged to bring a new teddy bear or stuffed animal to donate to Toys for Tots. The Teddy Bear Toss will occur during the first media timeout of the men's basketball game.
 
Live stats, video and radio links are available above the recap.