Friday, Feb. 1
vs. Sonoma State (6-10, 4-8 CCAA)
Pioneer Gym
7:30 p.m.
Live Stats

Saturday, Feb. 2 – Battle of the Bay
vs. San Francisco State (9-7, 7-5 CCAA)
Pioneer Gym
7:30 p.m.
Live Stats

HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team kicks off the fourth month of the 2012-13 season this weekend as they prepare for a crucial four-game homestand. The Pioneers (5-11, 4-8 CCAA) need a win, having lost five in a row, but they play six of their final ten games at home. Coach Biggs' squad will hope that familiarity creates an advantage, as the team will begin playing conference opponents for the second time. This starts on Friday, when Sonoma State rolls into Pioneer Gym looking for a season sweep. The following night is the annual “Battle of the Bay' against San Francisco State, with both tip-offs scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

WEEKEND RECAP
Last Friday, the Pioneers traveled to Turlock to take on Cal Stanislaus. The Warriors came into the game at 3-8 in conference, but played one of their better games of the season, defeating East Bay 80-70. It was a tale of two halves for the Pioneers, who shot 33.3 percent in the opening frame. They came back to shoot 56.3 percent in the second half and outscore Stanislaus by seven, but it wasn't enough to erase the deficit. Gabe Kindred had 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists (all team highs) on 7-for-11 shooting. Senior forwards Nick Marshall (14 points) and Jurrell Turner (12 points) also reached double figures.

The following night, East Bay went a bit further north up Highway 99 to visit Chico State at Acker Gym. The Pioneers struggled offensively and fell behind early, scoring just 18 points in the first half and ultimately losing 68-43. Marshall led the team with nine points, and sophomore Tre Mauldin grabbed a season-high seven rebounds. 

JANUARY BLUES
The Pioneers will be glad to see the calendar turn over to February this weekend, as January was a month to forget in many ways. East Bay picked up a big win at Cal State LA to open the new year, but they've gone just 1-6 since. During the month, the team averaged just under 59 points per game, while shooting 36.1 percent from the floor and 29.3 percent from behind the arc.

WORKING IN TRANSITION
If the Pioneers can improve those shooting percentage, it could be a really dangerous team because they have no problem creating possessions and getting shots. As a team, they're among the CCAA leaders in steals, turnover margin, and offensive rebounding. As a result, they also rank high in free throws and field goals attempts. Few teams thrive in transition as much as Pioneers and no team gets to the free throw line more. Perhaps they're a few friendly bounces away from a winning streak.

POINTS IN THE PAINT
Marshall, a Vallejo native, has had an excellent senior season protecting the rim for East Bay. He ranks in the top-10 in the conference in rebounding (6.4 rpg) and blocks (1.1 bpg), leading the Pioneers in both categories. But lately, scoring in the paint has been a more consistent part of his game. He has posted two of his three highest-scoring games this season in the past two weeks, and he's averaging 12.7 ppg over the last three games, good for second on the team.

KINDRED SPIRITS
The Pioneers knew they were getting a dynamic player when Kindred transferred, and he hasn't disappointed. The junior from Oakland leads the Pioneers in scoring and assists, and he's reached double figures in a team-high 11 games. More recently, though, Kindred has become a much more efficient scorer. In addition to the 18 points on Friday, he matched a career-best with 20 points last week against UCSD. He has topped 60 percent shooting in two of the past three games, and perhaps most importantly, he's made 30 of his last 37 free throws (81 percent).

SCOUTING SONOMA STATE
The Seawolves have struggled since the beginning of December; they've lost five of their last six and nine of 12, and they were swept at home last weekend by Cal State San Bernardino and UC San Diego. They're the best shooting team in the conference (48.7 percent from the floor, 40.1 percent from three), but one of the worst defensive teams. They rank last in the CCAA in rebounds, turnover margin, steals, points allowed, and opponent's field goal percentage. Senior guard Patrick Scott is the conference's leading scorer at 17.2 ppg, while fellow senior Will Olsem also scores in double figures for Sonoma State (10.7 ppg). The Pioneers have dropped two straight to the Seawolves after losing a heartbreaker, 73-72, at the buzzer in their last meeting. 

SCOUTING SF STATE
The Gators are having a strong season, currently tied for third place in the CCAA, although they've lost three of their last four. SFSU is an excellent rebounding team and a solid shooting team (44.0 field goal percentage for the season). Calvin Otiono (13.4 ppg), Decensae White (11.8 ppg), and William Overton, Jr. (11.2 ppg) all average double figures. Otiano is the top three-point shooter in the CCAA at 51.2 percent, while White ranks fifth in rebounding (7.2 rpg). East Bay picked up a big win at SF State, 80-76, earlier in the season, but the Pioneers are looking for revenge after losing last year's “Battle of the Bay”, 78-72, to the Gators in Hayward.