"This is a very difficult road trip, both logistically and competitively," said Head Coach Steve Kinder. "Stanislaus State is a dangerous team, and I know their players and coaching staff will be prepared for us. Chico State is a rival, and we will be making the trip on game day. It is our toughest road trip of the season."
 
Following last weekend's home sweep of Cal State East Bay and Cal State Monterey Bay, HSU put itself in position to clinch its first postseason game in Lumberjack Arena since the 2011-12 season. A win in one of the their final three games will guarantee the Jacks a home court advantage in the conference tournament.
 
The Green and Gold split its early season home meetings with this weekend's opponents. Chico State defeated HSU 86-68 on Jan. 7 and the Jacks rebounded with a 22-point win over Stanislaus State on Jan. 9.
 
Stanislaus State is riding an 11-game losing streak and is coming off a pair of 15-point losses against Cal State San Bernardino and UC San Diego. The Warriors have scored fewer than 60 points in three consecutive games and are averaging just 62.9 points per game.
 
Christian Bayne remains the Warriors' top scorer and averages 14.2 points per game. He is also a long-range threat and is shooting a team-best 39.0 percent from outside the arc. Bayne scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists in the Warriors visit to the North Coast.
 
Not only do the Jacks have a quick turnaround, they must travel on game day to face the CCAA's top team – Chico State. The Wildcats have won eight straight and are 8-1 at home.
 
The Wildcats shot 50.7 percent from the field in its 18-point win over the Jacks earlier this season. The key to Chico State's success was its dominating play on the glass, outrebounding HSU 45-21.
 
"We look forward to the environment of the Chico State game, and I expect it to be a sell-out crowd," said Kinder. "There will be a lot on the line going into the Saturday night game."