ROHNERT PARK -- The path through the CCAA doesn't get any easier for the Sonoma State men's basketball team as they will hit the road -- a long road -- to face off against No. 7 Cal Poly Pomona and Humboldt State this weekend. After winning just one of their last five games, the Seawolves sport an overall record of 5-7 with a 3-5 mark in the CCAA.
BROADCAST INFORMATION: Links to live stats and live video are provided below. Live audio will be available for the game against Humboldt State as BiCoastal Media Sports Director J.B. Mathers will have the call live from Lumberjack Arena. Both games are set for a 7:30 p.m. tip off.
GOLDEN EAGLES, TOROS RECAP: In highly anticipated matchups against Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills this past weekend, Sonoma State did not get what they hoped for. Instead, they came out of the weekend with a pair of losses to two defensive-minded teams. The Seawolves lost a heartbreaker to Cal State L.A., 62-53, in a game that was tied at 53-53 with 1:30 to go in regulation.
Patrick Scott led SSU with 15 points, while
Will Olsem scored 12 points. Sonoma State could not bounce back against the Toros of Cal State Dominguez Hills, losing by a score of 71-56. It was Olsem this time who led the Seawolves in scoring with 20 points, while
Steve Lackey pitched in 12 points in the loss.
SCOUTING CAL POLY POMONA: Off to a hot start at 11-1 (7-1 CCAA) and atop the conference standings, the Broncos of Cal Poly Pomona come into the weekend ranked at No. 7 in the NABC Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll. After losing their first game of the 2013 calendar year to Cal State San Bernardino on Jan. 5, CPP has begun a small two-game winning streak in which they look to build on when Sonoma State comes to town on Thursday. As a team, the Broncos are averaging 66.6 points per game, while only allowing opponents to score 54.2 points per game. Mitchel Anderson leads Cal Poly Pomona in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game. Anderson is also tops in rebounding for the Broncos and finds himself among the conference leaders averaging 8.0 boards per game. Terrence Drisdom is not far behind, averaging 13.3 points per game for the Broncos. Jordan Faison has had a hot shooting hand for CPP, draining 60.9 percent of his shots from the field, good enough for second in the CCAA. Cal Poly Pomona currently holds the 24-15 all-time series advantage, however Sonoma State swept the season series during the 2011-12 season.
SCOUTING HUMBOLDT STATE: After winning the CCAA tournament championship last season, the Lumberjacks of Humboldt State find themselves at the bottom of the CCAA standings midway through the conference season with a record of 1-7 (5-7 overall). Humboldt State is in the midst of a four-game losing streak as they take on San Francisco State on Thursday, before Sonoma State comes in on Saturday. The Lumberjacks will attempt to avoid their first five-game losing streak since the 1999-2000 season. Humboldt State is scoring just under 70 points per game (69.8), while allowing opposing teams to score an average of 65.4 points per game. Alec Williams and Austin Bryan lead the Lumberjacks' top scoring contingent, averaging 15.0 and 11.9 points per game, respectively. Aaron Chamberlain finds himself at fourth in the conference in field goal percentage, shooting just over 59 percent from the field. With a 46-37 advantage, Humboldt State leads the all-time series record over Sonoma State. The two teams split the season series in 2011-12 with both teams winning on their respective home floors.
1,000 POINT CLUB COUNTDOWN: After having 12- and 20-point games this past weekend,
Will Olsem is just seven points shy of becoming the 12th player in Sonoma State history to score 1,000 points in a career. Olsem currently sits at 993 total points.
Patrick Scott accounted for 15 points against Cal State L.A. and nine points against Cal State Dominguez Hills to bring him to a career total of 916 points, needing just 86 more points to become the 13th player to hit the 1,000-point mark in school history.
SEAWOLVES' NOTES: Although his average has dropped,
Patrick Scott has regained the conference lead and leads the Seawolves in points per game with 16.6.
Will Olsem is second on the team in scoring, coming in at 11.3 points per game.
Justin Herold and Scott are both among the conference's best when it comes to field goal percentage as Herold sits at third in the CCAA at 60.2 percent, while Scott is fifth, hitting an even 59.0 percent of his shots.
Jason Walter continues to have the hot hand from beyond the arc for the Seawolves, and is third in the CCAA, shooting 52.0 percent from downtown. Scott has hit 49.1 percent of his three-point attempts, putting him at fifth in the conference. Sonoma State will be facing off against the number seven team in the country in Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday. The last win against a ranked opponent was last season against none other than Cal Poly Pomona. The Broncos were ranked 10th in the nation when the Seawolves beat them 70-64 on Jan. 14 in Rohnert Park. Sonoma State is 5-12 when playing Cal Poly Pomona in Kellogg Gym, while the Seawolves are 15-24 when playing against Humboldt State in Arcata.
