Friday, January 25
@ Cal State Stanislaus (6-8, 3-7 CCAA)
Fitzpatrick Arena
7:30 p.m.
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Saturday, January 26
@ Chico State (8-6, 5-5 CCAA)
Acker Gym
7:30 p.m.
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HAYWARD, Calif. – After being swept in a weekend series for the first time this season, the Cal State East Bay men's basketball team will attempt to right the ship as they hit the road for two big games this week. These will be the last road games until Valentine's Day for the Pioneers (5-9, 4-6 CCAA), who have earned half their conference wins away from home. The team makes the short trip over to Turlock to take on Cal State Stanislaus at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Then on Saturday, the Pioneers head up Highway 99 for a meeting with Chico State, also set to tip-off at 7:30 p.m.

WEEKEND RECAP
It was a forgettable weekend at Pioneer Gym as the team dropped consecutive home games for the first time this season. On Friday, Cal State Bernardino defeated the Pioneers 71-59 behind a dominant effort from Kwame Alexander (26 points, 13 rebounds). A trio of Pioneers scored in double figures, with Jacari Whitfield leading the way with 11 points and 6 six assists, and Jurrell Turner adding 10 points and eight boards.

On Saturday, East Bay once again fell victim to an exceptional individual performance. Drew Dyer made 12 of 15 shots, including six three-pointers, and racked up 30 points as UC San Diego bested the Pioneers 69-60. Gabe Kindred (6-for-10 from the floor, 8-for-8 from the line) scored 20 points and grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds. Whitfield and Nick Marshall added 14 and 15 points, respectively.

WORKHORSE AT THE POINT
Whitfield's 23 points in the two games marked the highest scoring weekend of the season for the sophomore guard. He scored in double digits in consecutive games for the first time as well. The reigning CCAA Freshman of the Year has been a constant at the point guard position, leading the Pioneers in minutes (30.8 – eighth in CCAA), assists (2.9 apg – eighth in CCAA), and free throw shooting (.778 – ninth in CCAA).

TOPPING 20
Kindred reached the 20-point mark for the second time this season, matching the career-high he set on Dec. 1 at Sonoma State. He shot 60.0 percent, his best single-game mark this season, and was perfect on free throws (8-for-8) for just the second time. The junior from Oakland is making a big impression in his first year on the Hayward campus, leading the team in scoring at 12.0 ppg.

MARSHALL LAW
The Pioneers knew finding someone to rebound and protect the rim this season would be crucial, and they've gotten that from Marshall in his senior season. The Vallejo native leads the team in rebounding (6.8 rpg – seventh in CCAA) and blocks (1.25 bpg – fourth in CCAA). He's also East Bay's fifth-leading scorer, and his 15-point effort of Saturday was the second time this season he's reached double figures.  

SCOUTING STANISLAUS
Cal State Stanislaus sits a game behind the Pioneers in the standings after losing last week to both Cal State LA and Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Warriors rank last in the conference in rebounding, but they're one of the best shooting teams, ranking in the top-3 in three-point percentage. Stanislaus has three players scoring in double figures, including seniors Marcus Walters and Ray Mitchell, who both average better than 10 points and five rebounds a game. Junior point guard Sam Marcus leads the CCAA in assists by a healthy margin (5.1 apg). The Warriors lead the all-time series over East Bay 28-8. They've beaten the Pioneers six straight times since the latter joined the CCAA, including an 86-83 win in their last meeting in Turlock.

WILDCAT WATCH
Chico State was also swept in their SoCal road trip by LA and Dominguez Hills last weekend. The Wildcats have lost three of four, but still remain in the top half of the conference standings at 5-5. As a team, they lead the CCAA in assists as well as three-pointers made and taken. They're shooting 43.8 percent from the floor in CCAA games, second-best in the conference. Junior Amir Carraway is the only Wildcat averaging in double figures this season (10.4 ppg). Sophomore Jordan Semple is eighth in rebounding at 6.6 rpg, while senior Demario Sims ranks as one of the conference's top point guards, dishing out 3.3 apg. East Bay has a 1-5 record against Chico State since joining the conference, including a 61-47 defeat in Chico when the teams last met.