CSUEB To Close Out Homestand Against Gators and Otters
- January 13, 2010
HAYWARD, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay women's basketball team finishes up its four-game homestand as it plays host to San Francisco State and Cal State Monterey Bay this weekend. The Pioneers (0-12, 0-7 CCAA) are still searching for their first win of the season, while the Otters (9-2, 5-2) and Gators (6-9, 2-5) will be looking to move up in the league standings.
East Bay is coming off two losses at home to Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State last weekend. Though the Pioneers had their best defensive half of the season in the first frame against the Warriors, the second half saw the team give up 57 points while scoring just 17 in the eventual 94-63 loss. With a new pair of captains on Saturday, Cal State East Bay had three players in double figures in scoring but still fell to the Wildcats to remain in the hunt for its first win coming into this weekend.
The Pioneers have seen several players step up of late, as at least three players have reached double figures in scoring in six straight games. Among those players is freshman center Lauren Lucchesi, who has posted double figures in scoring in each of the last five contests, including double-doubles against Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State LA.
Joining Lucchesi on the double-double route has been junior forward Natalie Montes, who has notched double digit rebounds and points in each of the last two games. Lucchesi is third on the team in scoring, averaging 8.1 points per game, and sixth in the conference with a team-leading 8.3 boards per contest. Meanwhile, junior guards Claudia Nelson and Andrea Rodriguez are the Pioneers leading scorers, averaging 13.2 and 10.1 points per game, respectively.
San Francisco State enters Thursday's "Battle of the Bay" in ninth place in the CCAA and looking to pick up its second straight league victory. The Gators are led by senior forward Donisha Tate's 8.9 points and 10.7 boards per game. Tate ranks second in the conference in rebounding, while her counterpart in the paint, junior center Dominique Carter, is the CCAA's top shot blocker, averaging 2.3 rejections per game. Overall, the SFSU defense is the best in the conference, holding opponents to just 32 percent shooting, a statistic that ranks fourth in all of Division II. The Gators and Pioneers last met in 2001.
Cal State Monterey Bay comes into the week in fourth place in the conference with a 5-2 league record. The Ottters swept last weekend's road matchups, topping Cal State Dominguez Hills, 66-61, after handing a 20-point defeat to Cal State LA. Senior forward Veronica Williams and senior guard Helen Suarez are pacing the Otters with 12.8 and 12 points per game, respectively, while junior forward Julie Heurung's 5.8 boards per contest are tops on the team. Williams also ranks in the top 10 in the conference in four offensive categories, including claiming the No. 3 spot in three pointers made, averaging just over two per game. Meanwhile, the Otter defense is holding opponents to just 55.7 points per game, good for second in the CCAA. CSUMB takes on No. 7 and undefeated UC San Diego in La Jolla on Thursday.
The Pioneers and Gators are set to tip off the first game of the "Battle of the Bay" doubleheader on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Pioneer Gym. Fans are invited to help "black out" Pioneer Gym, with the first 100 students dressed in black receiving free hot dogs. San Francisco 49ers mascot Sourdough Sam and Oakland Athletics mascot Stomper will be on hand to help ignite the rivalry as well. Saturday's matchup with Cal State Monterey Bay will tip at 5:30 p.m. Live stats will be available online .