SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State Monterey Bay men's basketball team jumps into the CCAA fray this weekend by hosting Cal State L.A. (Friday) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (Saturday) in The Kelp Bed. Tip-off both nights is 7:30 p.m. as the nightcap of men's/women's doubleheader action.

Despite its youth, CSUMB (2-1 overall) is off to a strong start this season and will be looking to start 3-1 for just the fourth time in school history and the third time as an NCAA member. The Otters haven't opened 3-1 since Head Coach Rob Bishop (@Coach_RBishop) and his 2008-09 squad opened the season with seven consecutive wins for CSUMB's best-ever start.

The Otters also opened the 2006-07 season 4-1 and 1998-99 (NAIA) season 3-1.

Fans who can't make the game can follow all of the action with live video, audio and stats at www.OtterAthletics.com. Fans in the Monterey Bay area can also listen live on KION 1460 AM/101.1 FM. Rob Ponce will handle the play-by-play duties while former CSUMB assistant coach Alex Hudson calls the color.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES (3–1, 1–0 CCAA): The Golden Eagles go an early jump on their CCAA docket by taking a 76–66 decision from Cal State Dominguez Hills last Saturday in L.A. This will be L.A.'s first road test after playing its first four games at home. The lone blip on so far was an 81–70 loss to Cal Baptist on Nov. 23. Senior guard Quinton Watkins leads three Golden Eagles scoring in double figures at 21.0 points per game. Sophomore swingman Joshua Munzon is the team's top rebounder at 5.8 rpg.

WHEN LAST WE MET: In a game in which the Otters never led—but the Golden Eagles never led by more than 11—CSUMB saw each comeback attempt parried in a 60–50 CSULA win on Feb. 8 in The Kelp Bed. Kris Gallop (Vallejo/Los Medanos College) and Kevin Loustale led the Otters with 10 points apiece. James Tillman led four Golden Eagles in double figures with 19 points.

WHEN LAST WE PLAYED: The Otters stayed close the entire game, but poor free–throw shooting (9-of-18) ultimately doomed them as Dominican hit six consecutive from the stripe in crunch time to hold on for an 86–76 win in San Rafael. Junior wing Ryan Nitz (Rancho Cucamonga/Chaffey College) led the way with 22 points, his second 20–point effort in three Otter outings.

OTTERS IN CCAA OPENERS: CSUMB is 4–5 all–time in CCAA openers. The Otters won their first–ever CCAA opener, a 94–89 win over Chico State in The Kelp Bed on Dec. 3, 2004. They're 3–2 when opening CCAA play in The Kelp Bed.

OPENING vs. L.A.: Of CSUMB's nine CCAA opening games, just one has come against Cal State L.A. That was a 75–74 win over the Golden Eagles in The Kelp Bed on Dec. 1, 2006.

THIS DATE IN OTTER HISTORY: The Otters played their only previous Dec. 6 CCAA game back in 2008, Rob Bishop's first as CSUMB season as CSUMB head coach. The Otters defeated Cal State Stanislaus 80–68. Steve Monreal led CSUMB with 15 points and six assists while Dante Green added a 13–point, 10 rebound double–double.

A 30–SOMETHING PERFORMANCE: Although exhibition stats don't count towards official stats, the 31 points scored by sophomore guard Alex Fertig at San Jose State Nov. 4 marked the first 30–point game by an Otters since Brandon Ward scored 31 at Sonoma State on Feb. 2, 2012.

A PAIR OF 20–SOMETHING PERFORMANCES: Junior swingman Ryan Nitz (Rancho Cucamonga/Chaffey College) already has a pair of 20–point performances on his resume through three games. The last Otter to accomplish that feat was Steve Monreal, who scored 28 and 23 points in the first two games of the 2008–09 season. The only other Otter to accomplish the feat was Devoughn Lamont, who went for 30 and 23 points in the first two games of the 2005–06 season.

SHOOTING THE LIGHTS OUT: The Otters are shooting the lights out on the road from long range. They maked 47.1 (8-of-17) from beyond the arc in the win at Academy of Art (Nov. 19) and 45 percent (9-of-20) at Dominican University (Nov. 26). Including exhibition play, they're 36-of-78 (46.2 percent) from beyond the arc through three road games.

THE SIX SHOOTERS: The Otters tied a school record by placing six scorers in double figures in the 108–100 loss at Humboldt State on Feb. 14. Alex Fertig led CSUMB with 18 points. Joining him in double figures were Coley Apsay with 15; Kris Gallop (Vallejo/Los Medanos College) and Kevin Loustale with 14 each; and Julian Ball and Brandon Ward with 11 points apiece.

The only previous time six Otters reached double figures in one game came in a 122–118 triple overtime loss at Cal State L.A. on Jan. 18, 2008. The high scorers that game were: D'Shon Cannon (37), Augie Johnston (24), Joe Mitchell (24), Juston Willis (13), Steve Becker (11) and Jose Sanchez (10).

THE FERTIG 400: It might not happen overnight, but all–time leading scorer Brandon Ward may soon find himself looking over his shoulder at Alex Fertig chasing him up the scoring leaderboard. Fertig's 10 points Nov. 26 at Dominican University pushed him to 432 points. Despite playing just one season plus three games, he's only 35 points behind Jared Jungworth for a place in the CSUMB career top 20.

TAKE THEM, THEY'RE FREE: It's only three games into the season, but the Otters are shooting free throws at an historically dismal pace. CSUMB enters the weekend coverting just 60.2 percent (50–83) from the stripe. The record low for Otter free–throw shooting came when the 2003–04 attempted a school–record 688 free throws but made only 426, a rate of 61.9 percent.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK: Although it didn't results in a W, the Otters did a much better job of taking care of the rock in their last game at Dominican University, turning the ball over a season–low 13 times. By contrast, the 2012–13 Otters didn't get under 13 turnovers until the 11th game of the season.

SO CLOSE… The Otters just missed scoring their most points in a regulation conference game during the Rob Bishop era by hanging 98 points on Cal State East Bay Dec. 30. The high water mark is 99 points in a 99–88 win at Cal State Stanislaus on Jan. 30, 2009. The 98 points were the third most scored in a regulation CCAA game in Otter history, trailing only the aforementioned game at Stanislaus and 107 points (also at Stanislaus) on Jan. 19, 2007.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: By scoring 180 points versus Academy of Art (82) and Cal State East Bay (98) on Dec. 15 & 30, 2012 the Otters set a school record for points in consecutive regulation wins over NCAA Division II competition. The 2006–07 Otters scored 188 points in consecutive games versus Chico State (99) and Cal State Stanislaus (89), but fell in the Stanislaus game, 96–89.

GO OTTERS!