FULL NOTEBOOK vs. SAN BERNARDINO IN PDF FORMAT


SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team will look for its first road win of the season when it begins the final leg of a five-game road trip at Cal State San Bernardino Friday (Jan. 13). The Otters will conclude the trip Saturday (Jan. 14) at UC San Diego.

If you can't make the trip, be sure to catch all of the action live on KION 1460 AM over over the Internet at www.OtterAthletics.com.

SCOUTING THE COYOTES: After opening the season with four consecutive wins, the Coyotes have lost four of their last seven games entering Friday's meeting with the Otters. Came back from 11 down midway through the second half to win in the closing seconds at Stanislaus (75–72) Saturday night. Senior forward Theron Laudermill tops the Coyote scoresheet at 13.3 points per game. Senior forward Tre' Brewer is the only other Coyote averaging in double figures at 11.6 ppg.

WHEN LAST WE MET: The Otters and Coyotes played a game for the ages in The Kelp Bed on Jan. 29, 2011. In a game in which neither team led by more than four points, the teams played through 15 ties and 20 lead changes before a pair of Derrick Anderson (Pittsburg HS) free throws with six second remaining proved the difference in an 82–80 CSUMB win. Davion Berry led the Otters with a career–high 41 points, the second highest scoring game in CSUMB history. Nate Roth led three Coyotes in double figures with 23.

ON THE REBOUND: Friday's game against San Bernardino will feature the top three rebounders in the CCAA. San Bernardino's Kwame Alexander leads at 7.5 rebounds per game. Kevin Loustale (Chico HS/Shasta College) and Theron Laudermill are tied for second at 7.2 rpg.

ABOUT LAST WEEK: The defense took the night off Thursday and the offense took the night off Friday, resulting in a pair of road losses. Thursday (Jan. 5), the Otters enjoyed their second highest offensive output of the season, scoring 82 points at San Francisco State. The defense, however, yielded a season–high 92 points to the Gators. Derrick Anderson led four Otters in double figures with 19 points.

Saturday (Jan. 7), the defense returned to form, holding No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona to 66 points. The Otter offense, however, generated a season–low 39 points. Anderson was the only Otter to reach double figures in Pomona, finishing with 10 points.

BOMBS AWAY: The Otters posted consecutive 80–plus point games at Cal State East Bay (87) and at San Francisco State (82). It's just the second time since the 2008–09 season they've done that. That Otter squad scored 80–plus in four consecutive games from Nov. 29 through Dec. 12 of that season.

ON THE FLIP SIDE: CSUMB's 39–point night at Cal Poly Pomona marked the first time the Otters ever failed to score 40 points in a game. The previous low was 43 points scored in a 71–43 loss to Molloy College at the State Farm Roadrunner Classic on Dec. 28, 1999. CSUMB's low at the NCAA Division II level was 46 points in a 79–46 loss at Cal Poly Pomona on Feb. 25, 2009.

DOUBLE VISION: Derrick Anderson's 15–point, 14–rebound double–double against Sonoma State was not only his first collegiate double–double, it has been the only double–double by an Otter in the last 37 games. Davion Berry was the last Otter to turn the trick, scoring 24 points with 12 boards in a 78–63 win over Cal State East Bay on Feb. 19, 2010.

START ME UP: By starting the Jan. 7 game at Cal Poly Pomona, Brandon Ward continued his steady climb up the CSUMB career starts top 10 list. Ward made his 55th Otter start that night, moving him past Dexter Amey and Mike Miller for sole possession of the No. 4 slot. Should Ward start all 26 regular season games in 2011–12, he would end the season with 70 career starts, No. 3 on the all–time list and just six off the record held by current assistant coach Joe Mitchell.

THE MONTEREY BAY 500: Brandon Ward's final bucket Dec. 10 at Notre Dame de Namur put him in exclusive company. It lifted the junior guard over 500 career points (501). Ward becomes just the 16th Otter to reach that plateau. He enters Friday's game with 577 points, good for No. 14. He needs 38 points to catch Mike Miller at No. 13 Should he continue at his current pace, Ward will end the regular season as CSUMB's ninth all–time leading scorer.

THE WARD GIVETH… Although Brandon Ward did not record an assist last Saturday, he enters the Cal State San Bernardino game with 159 career assists and in sole possession of the No. 4 spot. DShon Cannon owns the Otter record with 371.

…AND THE WARD TAKETH AWAY: Brandon Ward failed to collect a steal at Cal Poly Pomona, leaving him tied with Demar Walton for ninth on the CSUMB career list with 56 steals. Joe Mitchell holds the Otter record with 91 steals.

LOUSTALE LEADS THE WAY: Junior forward Kevin Loustale (Chico HS/Shasta College) and Brandon Ward have been models of shooting consistency this season. Shooting at least 60 percent from the floor in eight of his first 10 games in which he recorded a shot, Loustale begins the week leading the CCAA in field goal percentage at 67.2. Ward, meanwhile, was the CCAA's top free–throw shooter at 87.1 percent.

OTTERS AMONG THE CCAA LEADERS: Several Otters entered this week's action ranked among the CCAA leaders. Here are the numbers and ranking entering the week for CSUMB players ranked in the top 10:

NOW THAT'S SMARTS: The Otter men's basketball team boasted three players who earned CCAA All–Academic honors for their classroom work in 2010–11. The Otter triumvirate of James Albert, Brenden Fripp (Santa Barbara/Palo Verde HS) and Brandon Ward made CSUMB the only school to place three men's basketball players on the list. In case you were wondering, Albert posted a 3.65 grade point average as a business administration major. Ward posted a 3.90 GPA as a business administration major.