ARCATA — On Thursday San Francisco State will seek revenge for its tough loss to Humboldt State last month, but the Gators will have to do so on the Jacks' home court in Lumberjack Arena. They'll also be taking on the hottest team in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Winners of six straight games, the Lumberjacks will attempt to make it seven when they tip off at 7:30 p.m. against SFSU. They'll be back on the court Saturday afternoon to battle CSU Monterey Bay in a game that will be televised nationwide on CBS College Sports. That tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., with tickets going on sale at 1 p.m. in the lower lobby of Lumberjack Arena.
On-the-Air
Every Lumberjack basketball game is broadcast live over the local airways on KATA, 1340 AM, beginning with the pregame show 15 minutes prior to game time. Bicoastal Media Sports Director J.B. Mathers describes the action from Lumberjack Arena and HSU Assistant Athletic Director Dan Pambianco goes on the road with the Jacks. …Audio is also streamed live over the Internet through the hsujacks.com web site. The new UStream format allows an interactive chat between listeners during the webcast. The specific URL for access is located at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/humboldt-state-athletics.
Live Television
CBS College Sports will air the game between HSU and Monterey Bay live on its digital network, found on channel 242 for Suddenlink cable subscribers in Humboldt County. The telecast can also be found on Dish Network channel 152 and DirecTV channel 613.
Live Stats
All Lumberjack basketball home games can be tracked online by using the Live Stats feature on hsujacks.com. Real time statistics, momentum tracker and other information are featured on the game viewer. The feature can be found at http://www.sidearmstats.com/humboldt/mbball/.
Head-to-Head
An 18-point win on Jan. 2 in Seaside provided the Lumberjacks with a 12-0 lead in the all-time series with CSUMB. The Jacks survived two tight games to sweep the Otters last year. …HSU claimed a 62-61 win over San Francisco State on Jan. 3, leaving the Jacks trailing the all-time series, 56-91. Humboldt State and San Francisco State split a pair of games last season, both teams winning on their home courts.
Projected Starters
G - #12 Ernie Spada, 5-11, 175, Jr., Lake Oswego, Ore.
G - #22 Zac Tiedeman, 6-1, 180, Sr., Santa Rosa, Calif.
C - #32 Brian Morris, 6-9, 270, Jr., Portland, Ore.
F - #34 Elliot Babcock-Krenk, 6-3, 205, So, Lake Oswego, Ore.
F - #24 Kevin Atkins, 6-6, 220, Sr., Long Beach, Calif.
Lumberjack Links
Following are links to more information on the Lumberjack basketball program.
Complete Roster
Schedule
2009-10 Statistics
Head Coach Tom Wood
The major news out of Humboldt State last week was Head Coach Tom Wood announcing his retirement following the current season. In 29 years directing the Jacks, Wood's teams have compiled a 455-348 overall record and have won more than 20 games in eight seasons. During the new millennium, Wood's teams have posted a 209-74 overall record, including 121-17 on their home court (the East Gym and Lumberjack Arena).
Lumberjack Notes
Facing teams the second time offers an opportunity to adjust, but as far as the Jacks are concerned, they'd be happy with status quo when they play two CCAA opponents at home this weekend. Against the Gators, the Jacks managed a one-point win in San Francisco despite shooting only 38 percent from the field. They forced the Gators into 17 turnovers and out-rebounded them, 30-23. …Humboldt State senior point guard Zac Tiedeman was named CCAA/Wilson Men's Basketball Player of the Week following his performance in the Jacks' two victories on the road last week. Tiedeman scored 22 points in each game and maded 10 of 13 from 3-point range for a 76.9 shooting percentage. He shot 63.1 overall from the field and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. Tiedeman is the only Jacks' player to earn the award this season. "Zac has been our player of the week most weeks this year," HSU head coach Tom Wood said. "We wear him out, but he still does a number of things well for us. He brings the ball up the court, gets our offense going, and is a scorer when we need him to be. What he does best is give us confidence." …During its current six-game winning streak, Humboldt State has shot 48 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range. The Jacks have also made 120 trips to the free throw line, hitting 78 percent of their chances. Defensively, their pressing tactics have forced opponents into 92 turnovers. …Humboldt State's individual leaders among conference players are Brian Morris, first in field goal percentage at .622, and Tiedeman, tied for the lead in free throw accuracy at 88 percent. …As a team, the Lumberjacks lead the CCAA in both free throw shooting (74.5 percent) and 3-point shooting (37 percent). They also top the list in 3-point field goals made per game at 7.8.
Opponents' Notes
San Francisco State has achieved a 13-8 record overall and is 6-7 in the CCAA following a pair of losses on the road last week. The Gators fell 63-59 at Cal State Stanislaus, then lost to Chico State, 72-60. However, they defeated CCAA leader Cal State San Bernardino at home the previous week, 67-61. …Junior transfer Marquel Hoskins leads the Gators in scoring with an average of 14.2 points per game, and is also the team's top rebounder with 5.1 boards per game. Tim Pratt, out of College of the Redwoods, averages 9.7 points per game, and Nefi Perdomo, a freshman guard, averages 9.4 points per game. …Cal State Monterey Bay is 7-11 overall and 5-8 in league after pulling itself back into the hunt for a CCAA tournament berth with a pair of wins last week. The Otters defeated both Chico State (61-58) and Cal State Stanislaus (74-68) on the road. …Freshman guard Davion Berry is the Otters' top point producer with an average of 12.7 points per game. Senior center Sean Jergo averages 8 points and a teamm-best 6.2 rebounds per contest.
Wood's Words
"San Francisco State has some big wins this year, and that hasn't happened by accident. (The Gators) play hard every minute on the floor. Their defense carries the day and their offensive scheme plays to their strengths. They're very good at maximizing their effectiveness." … "Cal State Monterey Bay played a lot of young players early in the season and its paying dividends now. They've getting better every week. Their coach does a great job of figuring out their strengths and they have the talent to beat anyone in our league." … "We're excited about playing a game on national television. I can't imagine anybody coming out flat for this occasion. If they're nervous, that will quickly run its course at this stage of the season. It should be a great game."