GAME #14
CSUMB (10-3)  vs. San Francisco State (8-5)
Thursday, Jan. 15, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
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GAME #15
CSUMB (10-3)  vs. UC San Diego (9-2)
Friday, Jan. 16, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
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Game Notes

OPENING TIP:
Coming home after pulling off a split down south, the Otters welcomes conference rival San Francisco State University on Thursday, Jan 15, and UC San Diego on Friday, Jan 16.

LOOKING AHEAD:
The Otters hit the road for the rest of January with games against Cal Poly Pomona next weekend, and then Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State the following weekend.

SCOUTING THE GATORS:
San Francisco State is currently on a four-game losing streak on the road, with losses to Humboldt State (76-74, OT), Sonoma State (80-68), Cal State Dominguez Hills (88-82) and Cal State L.A. (67-65). The Gators are leading the conference in steals, averaging 9.3 per game. Players to Watch: Robert Hayes (16.4 ppg, 80.6 free throw percentage, 30 steals), Alex Thomas (13.6 ppg., 38 assists), Brad Visman (8.7 ppg., 7.8 rpg, 17 blocks).

SCOUTING THE TRITONS:
UC San Diego was tied with the Otters for first place in the CCAA with a 4.0 record before going on a three-game losing streak that began at home against Cal State Domingiuez Hills (63-51)on Jan. 3.  The Tritons followed with a back-to-back losses to Cal State San Bernardino (74-50) and Cal Poly Pomona (54-51).  Players to watch: Jordan Lawley (12.8 ppg, 10 steals), Shane Poppen (10.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 52.9 field percentage), Kelvin Kim (9.8 ppg, 50 assists).

OTTERS BREAK INTO NATIONAL STATISTICS:
CSUMB finds itself ranked 87th in scoring (77.5 per game), 79th in the nation in free throw percentage (70.8)  and 71st in rebound margin (+4.5). Individually, senior #Steve Monreal# is in the national top 100 of three categories: free throw percentage with 66-for-75 in 13 games (88.0, 18th), assists per game (4.8, 44th) and steals per game (1.9, 100th).  Senior #Joe Mitchell# is ranked 39th after averaging 9.0 rebounds per game.

AGAINST CAL State L.A.:
Senior #Joe Mitchell# scored 17 points and grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to propel Cal State Monterey Bay to a victory, falling to Cal State L.A., 80-70, at the Eagle Nest Friday, Jan 9. Joining Mitchell with 14 points was senior #Steve Monreal#, who also added three steals.  Senior #Jose Sanchez# and junior #Dante Green# rounded out the Otters four double-figure shooters with 14 points apiece.

AGAINST CAL State DOMINGUEZ HILLS:
Senior #Joe Mitchell# led four players in double-figures with 14 points, as the Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills, 76-72, on Saturday, Jan 10, at the Torodome. Joining Mitchell in double-figures for CSUMB were junior #Shaun Williams# (11 points), senior #Steve Monreal# (10 points) and junior #Trevor Ray# (10 points). Monreal recorded a team-high six rebounds.

POST GAME COMMENTS BY BISHOP:
Against Cal State L.A. - “Another tough road game. Cal State L.A. is a very talented team, and they wanted more than we did. Joe was unbelievable tonight on the glass.  We just couldn't make shots when we had the opportunity.”

Against Cal State Dominguez Hills - “It was a tale of two halves, and we could do nothing right in the first half. Then in the second, we were able to get the ball inside and good things happened for us.Like I have been telling the guys all year, you need splits on the road.  We did it the hard way but I am proud of them.”

MITCHELL NAMED WILSON/CCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
#Joe Mitchell#, a 6-foot-4 senior from Oakland, Calif. averaged 15.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and connected on 52.9 percent of his field goal attempts as the Otters split a pair of road games at Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills. During an 80-70 loss at Cal State L.A., Mitchell scored 17 points and totaled a career-high 19 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. He followed that effort with 13 rebounds and five rebounds during a 76-72 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills that helped keep the Otters within a game of first place in the CCAA.A four-year player for the Otters, this is Mitchell's first time being named Wilson CCAA Player of the Week.  

MAKING IT REAL:
Senior #Steve Monreal# has emerged as CSUMB's top scoring threat, averaging 16.6 points per game.  He is shooting 37.7 percent overall but has been even more impressive at the free throw line, making 66-for-75 (88.0 percent) from the charity stripe.  Monreal followed a 28-point outing against Alaska Fairbanks in the season opener with a 23-point effort against Academy of Art, representing the first time in his career at CSUMB he reached the 20-point plateau in back-to-back games.

RECORD WATCH:
Senior #Joe Mitchell# is 180 points away from the 1000 career point milestone.  With 820 points thus far, Mitchell needs to average 12.8 points in the last 14 games.  Mitchell averaged 12.9 points per game in 2007-08 season and is currently averaging 12.0 ppg. 

HOME SWEET HOME:
The Otters have opened the 2008-09 season undefeated at home with seven victories, the best start in school team history. 

TEAM HISTORY WATCH:
With ten wins under their belt and 14 games to go, the Otters are three games away from tying the program's record of 13 wins in a season since moving to NCAA Division II. CSUMB finished 13-15 last year.

CCAA LEADERS:
(Overall statistics as of 01/13/09)

Steve Monreal - 3rd in points (16.6 per game); 1st free throw percentage (88.0 percent), 1st in assists (4.8 per game); 4th in steals (1.9 per game), 8th in 3-point field goals made (24).

Joe Mitchell - 1st in total rebounds (117), 2nd in rebounding (9.0 per game); 1st in offensive rebounds (3.2 per game), 3rd in defensive boards (5.8 per game), 7th in field goal percentage (53.3 percent), 6th in block shots (0.8 per game), 13th in points (12.0 per game).

Dante Green - 4th in field goal percentage (56.3 percent), 23rd in points (9.8 per game), 7th in rebounding (6.5 per game); 6th in offensive boards (2.3 per game); 8th in defensive boards (4.2 per game).

Keith Wilson - 6th in field goal percentage (54.5 percent), 21st in points (10.6 per game).

Jose Sanchez - 15th (tied) in 3-point field goals made (20).