GAME #22
CSUMB (13-8) vs. CSU Dominguez Hills (16-5)
Friday, Feb. 13, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Video: Click Here

GAME #23
CSUMB (13-8)  vs. Cal State L.A. (10-11)
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Video: Click Here

Game Notes



OPENING TIP:
The Otters look to break their three-game home losing streak on Friday against the Toros of Cal State Dominguez Hills. CSUMB then hosts Cal State L.A. to conclude their four-game homestand.

LOOKING AHEAD:
The Otters venture on their final road series of the 2008-09 season next weekend.  CSUMB takes on San Francisco State on Feb. 18.

SCOUTING THE TOROS:
Dominguez Hills (16-5, 10-4 CCAA) is in second place in the CCAA standings and leads the conference in field goal percentage, averaging 48.6 percent. The Toros pulled off back-to-back victories last weekend beginning with a 55-51 victory over Cal State L.A. and finishing with a a 61-58 win against UC San Diego.  Players to watch: Jerrell Smith (12.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Michael Hernandez (11.8 ppg, 92 assists).

SCOUTING THE EAGLES:
Cal State L.A. (10-11, 5-9 CCAA) has seen its losing streak hit five and will look to get back in the win column this week. The Golden Eagles have slipped into a tie for eighth place with Sonoma State, one game back of San Francisco State.  Players to watch: Chris Fields (16.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 31 assists), Chris Mark (11.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 13 blocks), Christofer Hart (9.4 ppg, 58 assists). 

OTTERS BREAK INTO NATIONAL STATISTICS:
CSUMB finds itself ranked 55th in the nation in free throw percentage (72.4) and 138th in scoring offense (72.4). Individually, senior #Steve Monreal# is in the national top 100 in two categories: free throw percentage with 97-for-109 in 19 games (89.0, 12th) and steals per game (1.9, 89th).  Senior #Joe Mitchell# is ranked 42nd after averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.

AGAINST HUMBOLDT STATE:
The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team fell, 73-64,to the Lumberjacks of Humboldt State on Friday, Feb. 6, at the Otter Sports Center. With the loss, the Otters are now 13-7 overall and 7-6 in CCAA play.  HSU improves to 17-6 and 10-3 in the CCAA action. Senior #Jose Sanchez# led the Otters with 15 points, with three from beyond the arc.  Senior #Steve Monreal# added 13 points and seven assists. Senior Joe Mitchell also contributed 13 points on top of his team-high seven rebounds.

AGAINST SONOMA STATE:
The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team fell, 81-72, to the Seawolves of Sonoma State on Saturday, Feb. 7 at the Otters Sports Center. The Otters drop to 13-8 overall and 7-7 in CCAA action. Senior #Steve Monreal# led the Otters with 23 points and four assists. Senior #Dante Green# scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half.  Senior #Joe Mitchell# had a team-high nine rebounds on top of his 13 points. Senior #Jose Sanchez# added 11 points.  CSUMB outrebounded Sonoma State, 29-25.
 
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 15.5 points per game.  He is shooting 38.8 percent overall but has been even more impressive at the free throw line, making 97-for-109 (89.0 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 105 points away from the 1000 career point milestone.  With 895 points thus far, Mitchell needs to average 17.5 points in the last eight games.  Mitchell averaged 12.9 points per game in 2007-08 season and is currently averaging 11.0 ppg. 

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

CCAA LEADERS:
(Overall statistics as of 02/12/2009)

#Steve Monreal# - 4th in points (16.0 per game); 1st free throw percentage (89.0 percent), 2nd in assists (4.4 per game); 4th in steals (1.9 per game), 4th in 3-point field goals made (41).

#Joe Mitchell# - 2nd in total rebounds (186), 2nd in rebounding (8.9 per game); 1st in offensive rebounds (3.0 per game), 2nd in defensive boards (5.9 per game), 2nd in field goal percentage (55.5 percent), 10th in block shots (0.6 per game), 15th in assists (2.4 per game), 18th in points (11.0 per game).

#Dante Green# - 5th in field goal percentage (54.5 percent), 10th in rebounding (5.3 per game); 11th in offensive boards (1.9 per game); 14th in defensive boards (3.4 per game).

#Jose Sanchez# - 22nd in points (10.4 per game), 15th in 3-point field goals made (30).