Thursday, Feb. 14
@ No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona (19-1, 15-1 CCAA)
Kellogg Gym
7:30 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video  

Saturday, Feb. 16
@ Humboldt State (9-11, 5-11 CCAA)
Lumberjack Gym
7:30 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video 

HAYWARD, Calif. — The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team embarks on arguably its toughest road trip of the year this week. The Pioneers (5-15, 4-12 CCAA) head south on Thursday for a Valentine's Day date with fourth-ranked Cal Poly Pomona, and they'll attempt to break the Broncos' nine-game winning streak. East Bay, which has lost nine in a row, then travels all the way up to Arcata for a Saturday showdown with Humboldt State, the last team the Pioneers defeated this year.

WEEKEND RECAP
It was a low-scoring weekend in the Hayward hills as the Pioneers held both their opponents under 55 points, but couldn't top 51 points themselves. On Friday, they played an extremely close game with Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Pioneers were excellent on defense, holding the Toros to 34.1 percent shooting and out-rebounding them 48 to 27. They had a chance to tie the game in the waning seconds, but didn't get the shot to fall, ultimately losing 53-51.

The following night, the Cal State LA defense came into town leading the nation in opponents' field goal percentage and featuring the nation's block leader in Jordan Richard. East Bay shot 25.4 percent in the game, and Richard notched six blocks in a 54-35 Golden Eagle win. Gabe Kindred scored 13 points as the only Pioneer in double figures.

STILL ALIVE
Despite the losing streak, the Pioneers are still alive in the CCAA race. The top eight teams in the standings get invited to Ontario for the conference championships, and with six games left, several spots are still up in the air. The Pioneers are currently tied with Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Stanislaus, and they're just a game behind Humboldt State, making Saturday's matchup a hugely important game. Currently the Pioneers are three games behind eighth-place Sonoma State (7-9), who are just a game behind a trio of fifth-place teams at 8-8. 

BOARDING SCHOOL
Senior Nick Marshall set a career high with 16 rebounds in Friday's game against the Toros. The Vallejo native, who scored seven points in the game, also set a personal best with seven offensive boards. Marshall has topped a dozen rebounds four times this season, and currently ranks sixth in the CCAA with 6.7 rpg.

DOUBLE DIGITS
Kindred reached double figures in both games last weekend, scoring 11 and 13 points, respectively. The junior also shot a team-best 47.4 percent in the two games. He has reached double figures in scoring in 14 of East Bay's 20 games, tops on the team. Kindred's team-leading 12.3 ppg scoring average has remained remarkably consistent all season. Since the first game, he has spent the entire season hovering between 11.3 ppg and 13.8 ppg. 

HISTORY'S ON OUR SIDE
Beating Cal Poly Pomona in their gym will be a tall task, but it wouldn't be uncharted water for the Pioneers. East Bay went to Pomona and beat the Broncos 57-54 last year, so don't expect the Pioneers to be overwhelmed. As for Humboldt State, East Bay is hoping to rely on historical trends. Not only did the Pioneers beat them 78-70 earlier in the season, they also lead the all-time series over the Jacks 48 to 34.

BREAKING DOWN THE BRONCOS
First-place Cal Poly Pomona has its eyes set on a CCAA title heading into the final three weeks. The No. 4 Broncos reached their highest national ranking of the year this week and have to be considered the favorites in the West region at this point, along with undefeated Western Washington. CPP is 8-1 at home this year and will bring the top-ranked scoring defense in the nation into Friday's game. The Broncos also lead the CCAA in team steals and scoring margin and rank second in shooting percentage (47.2 percent). Cal Poly Pomona is led by Mitchell Anderson, who ranks seventh in the conference in scoring (14.0 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (7.8 rpg). The senior also leads the CCAA in steals. Junior Terrance Drisdom ranks top-10 in scoring (13.4 ppg) and field goal percentage (53.9 percent). Forward Jordan Faison leads the CCAA with a 64.4 shooting percentage in conference games. The Pioneers played the Broncos close in their last meeting, falling at home 58-51 on Jan 12.

JACK FACTS
The ninth-place Lumberjacks are just two games out of a playoff spot, so they need a win this week as much as the Pioneers do. As it happens, Humboldt State represents the only win on the Pioneers' schedule in the last 11 games. On that night, three players topped 15 points for East Bay in the 78-70 home win. The Jacks, who are 7-4 at home, swept Chico State and Stanislaus in their last homestand and will be looking for revenge. They rank in the CCAA's top-four in field goal percentage and free throw percentage, and they force the second-most steals. Austin Bryan (12.9 ppg) and Alec Williams (12.1 ppg) both average in double figures for Humboldt, and forward Aaron Chamberlain is a 59.3 percent shooter from the floor. Bryan scored a game-high 20 points when the teams met back in January. It'll be a packed house for Saturday's crucial matchup, as the Jacks average over 1,100 fans a game, tops in the conference.