Live Stats: Humboldt State men’s basketball home games can be followed online through the LiveStats feature on the hsujacks.com web site. Statistics are available in real time, with full play-by-play and boxscore updated as the game progresses. To access the LiveStats, visit the men’s basketball page and click on the link in the right side menu or go directly to http://livestats.internetconsult.com/humboldt/mbball.. …Live stats will also be available for Thursday’s game at Sonoma State through the Seawolves’ web site at http://sonomaseawolves.com/live/mbball/.
On the Air: Humboldt State men’s basketball home games and road games will be broadcast again this year on KATA, 1340 AM, the local ESPN radio affiliate. J.B. Mathers describes all the action from the East Gym and Dan Pambianco goes on the road to provide play-by-play for conference contests. The broadcasts begin 15 minutes prior to tip-off with the pregame show, which offers interviews and analysis. The broadcasts are also streamed through the hsujacks.com web site, making them available globally on the world wide web.
Lumberjacks Notes: Adversity has struck the Jacks’ program hard, dealing a resounding blow in the form of a potentially season-ending injury. Preseason All-American Devin Peal suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb during the Jacks’ win over Seattle University on Dec. 22, and is scheduled for surgery on Jan. 8. The best-case scenario has him back on the court in early March. “We’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves, but I do feel bad for Devin,” HSU head coach Tom Wood said. “He did everything he needed to do to prepare for a great senior year.” … Peal’s absence means more court time for other post players, including Tyler Burns, Jameson Figgatt, David Jefferson and Nick Green. That group, and other individuals, will be counted on to pick up Peal’s production of 24 minutes, 16.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. “Leadership is most needed when you lose a leader,” Wood said. “The players who fill that role will be counted on to be productive in all those areas. Our goals for the season haven’t changed. We’ll just have to work a little harder to achieve them.” …When the Lumberjacks reassembled from the holiday break for practice this weekend, they were also missing David Jefferson and Ernie Spada, who were suffering the effects of respiratory illnesses, and Nick Green, who was out with stomach problems. In addition, senior Grayson Moyer missed the first two practices because of a death in the family, and was expected back by Tuesday. Finally, Carlos Corral has permanently left the team for personal reasons. …The law of averages dictates that some good news must be forthcoming, and it stands up in the fact that Everett Smith is back on the court. The junior guard, who has been troubled by the after-effects of a dislocated ankle suffered last year, has received medical clearance to practice and play. Smith had missed the Jacks’ last six games.
Opponents Notes: Sonoma State is out to a 5-3 start overall and is 1-1 in the CCAA. The Seawolves defeated Chaminade, an opponent the Lumberjacks lost to, but have dropped their two most recent contests, one to Central Washington and another to Western Oregon. …Senior guard Andrew Kochevar leads both his team and the CCAA in scoring with an average of 18.6 points per game. Kochevar is an impressive 25-50 from three-point range. …UC San Diego shares the early league lead with a 2-0 mark, and is 5-2 overall. The Tritons are coming into the week with a five-game winning streak. …Henry Patterson’s 11.3 points per game paces the Tritons’ offense, and sophomore guard Jordan Lawley is contributing 10.4 points per game.
Head-to-Head: HSU holds a 38-33 advantage over Sonoma State all-time, including a pair of victories last season. The Lumberjacks claimed two games from UCSD last year, improving to 4-0 in the all-time series.
Woods’ Wisdom: “Sonoma State is a young, fairly new team in most positions. Any thing we try to do against them won’t come easy. Coach (Pat) Fuscaldo prepares them well and they play hard. Sonoma represents a major challenge for us.” … “UC San Diego is one of the teams I believe is a major contender for the conference championship. They’re a veteran team that has responded well to a new coach. I’m impressed with their team defense, and how well they play together.”
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