GAME #20
CSUMB (13-6) vs. Humboldt State (16-6)
Friday, Feb. 6, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
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GAME #21
CSUMB (13-6)  vs. Sonoma State (7-12)
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
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Game Notes



OPENING TIP:
The Otters return home this week, after spending most of the month of January on the road.

LOOKING AHEAD:
The month of February kicks off with a four-game homestand, with a Military Appreciation Day on Feb. 7, against Sonoma State.  All military personnel gets into the game for one dollar.

SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS:
Humboldt State (16-6, 9-3 CCAA) is on a three-game winning streak, capped with a 60-55 victory over UC San Diego on Jan. 31, in Arcata.  The Lumberjacks are ranked 36th in the nation in 3-pointers per game with 8.0. Players to watch: Zac Tiedeman (12.6 ppg, 89.8 free throw percentage), Kevin Atkins (8.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 50.7 field goal percentage). 

SCOUTING THE SEAWOLVES:
Sonoma State (7-12, 3-9) looks to break its five-game losing streak on Friday, when they take on San Francisco State. The Seawolves are tied with Chico State for 9th in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings. Players to watch: James Sandoval (10.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg), Ben Washington (8.8 ppg, 61 assists, 19 steals).

OTTERS BREAK INTO NATIONAL STATISTICS:
CSUMB finds itself ranked 75th in scoring (68.4 per game), 61st in the nation in free throw percentage (71.9) and 94th in scoring offense (75.5). Individually, senior #Steve Monreal# is in the national top 100 in two categories: free throw percentage with 89-for-100 in 19 games (89.0, 13th) and assists per game (4.3, 82nd).  Senior #Joe Mitchell# is ranked 32nd after averaging 8.9 rebounds per game.

AGAINST CAL STATE STANISLAUS:
Senior #Jose Sanchez# scored 15 points to lead Cal State Monterey Bay past Cal State Stanislaus 99-88 on Friday, Jan. 30, at Warrior Arena. For the first since their 90-86 victory over University of Alaska, Fairbanks on Nov. 18, the Otters had five player record double digits.  Junior #Trevor Ray# nabbed a season-high 13 points and junior Keith Wilson recorded 12 points.  Seniors #Steve Monreal# and #Stephen Becker# added 11 points apiece. Senior #Joe Mitchell# was one points shy of recording his seventh double-double of the season, finishing with nine points and 10 rebounds.

AGAINST CHICO STATE:
The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team registered its first California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) sweep with a 78-71 victory over Chico State on Saturday, Jan. 31, at Acker Gym. Senior #Steve Monreal# scored a game-high 25 points on top of four assists and four steals. Senior #Jose Sanchez# finished with 11 points.  Junior #Trevor Ray# and sophomore #Warren Freeman# added 10 points apiece. Senior #Joe Mitchell# pulled down 10 rebounds.

POST GAME COMMENTS BY BISHOP:
Against Cal State Stanislaus - “We played like we have been practicing this past week. We got after them defensively and were able to create easy opportunities for ourselves. We got sloppy late but overall, I was very happy with how we played. Now we have to get ready for another rough one on the road tomorrow night.”

Against Chico State: “I cannot be more proud of my guys. They were mentally ready to play. Monreal, Mitchell, and Sanchez came up huge tonight and that is what seniors do. We knew this was a huge game for them as well as us. They are fighting for a playoff spot and needed a win as bad as us.  They battled to the end, but we were just able to make some key shots and free throws.”

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 89-for-100 (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 131 points away from the 1000 career point milestone.  With 869 points thus far, Mitchell needs to average 16.4 points in the last eight games.  Mitchell averaged 12.9 points per game in 2007-08 season and is currently averaging 10.8 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 02/3/2009)

#Steve Monreal# - 3rd in points (15.8 per game); 2nd free throw percentage (89.0 percent), 3rd in assists (4.3 per game); 4th in steals (1.8 per game), 9th in 3-point field goals made (35).

#Joe Mitchell# - 2nd in total rebounds (170), 2nd in rebounding (8.9 per game); 1st in offensive rebounds (3.0 per game), 2nd in defensive boards (5.9 per game), 3rd in field goal percentage (55.3 percent), 8th in block shots (0.6 per game), 19th in points (10.8 per game).

#Dante Green# - 7th in field goal percentage (53.2 percent), 9th in rebounding (5.6 per game); 10th in offensive boards (1.9 per game); 11th in defensive boards (3.7 per game).

#Keith Wilson# - 9th in field goal percentage (51.3 percent).

#Jose Sanchez# - 23rd in points (10.2 per game).