Humboldt aims to upset ’Yotes
Team looks to bounce back against top-ranked opponent
Coming off their disappointing home loss to last-place Cal State Dominguez Hills, the Cal Poly Humboldt men’s basketball team will have a prime opportunity for redemption on Thursday when the Lumberjacks host the top team in the CCAA and 12thranked team in the nation, Cal State San Bernardino.
The Coyotes were dominant in the first matchup between the two teams last month, winning 10176 at home. It was a performance that reflected the level of play that San Bernardino has exhibited all season, as they have beaten teams by an average of 16 points per game. The team’s offense is first in the conference, averaging 89.6 points per game. The Lumberjacks have the second-best scoring offense in the CCAA, but are more than 10 points behind the Coyotes’ pace at an average 78.9 points per game. San Bernardino is also first in the conference in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage at 49% and 40%, respectively.
On top of that, the ‘Yotes are also the best rebounding team in the conference. They average 46.6 rebounds per game while holding opponents to an average of 30.8 rebounds per game, both numbers are best in the league. San Bernardino also ranks second in the CCAA in blocked shots.
Simply put, the Coyotes are a tough team to handle.
“We will have to play well on both sides of the floor,” said Humboldt coach Tae Norwood. “We have to play well defensively and offensively.”
Coach Norwood also emphasized the need to combat the high screens of the Coyotes by getting over the ball screen to prevent
open looks from the elite scoring guards of San Bernardino. The Coyotes have two of the top five scorers in the conference in Brandon Knapper and Dontrell Shuler, two guards who were previously at Division I programs.
“They got two dynamite guards that can really get their own shot,” said Norwood. “We got to make sure we’re contesting shots and not giving up easy baskets, whether wide-open jumpers or drives to the lane.”
On top of those two elite guards, San Bernardino also has the top two individual rebounders in the conference in Darius Mickens and Robby Robinson. Robinson, a 6-foot-8 forward, is another Division I transfer who was at one point a starter for the Nevada Wolfpack, one of the top teams in the Mountain West. In total, the Coyotes have seven players with experience at the NCAA Division I level.
But there is one potential weakness of San Bernardino that can be exploited: turnovers. The Coyotes are second-worst in the conference in turnover margin. Humboldt is in the middle of the pack in that category, so it isn’t exactly a strength of the Lumberjacks. Still, there is a blueprint to be found in San Bernardino’s worst loss of the year when they fell to Stanislaus State. The Coyotes turned the ball over 17 times compared to just 9 for Stan State. The Warriors capitalized with 22 points off turnovers. But there was another key element to that game: the Coyotes were an uncharacteristically abysmal 50% at the free throw line on 24 attempts.
Humboldt is also a statistically better team than Stan State, which is capable of challenging San Bernardino in different ways. Coach Norwood expressed that he still felt he could leverage his team’s size advantage on the interior.
“Offensively, we got to make shots. You got to make free throws and we got to knock down open opportunities,” said Norwood. “And we got to continue to play inside-outside because I think we still have an advantage in the post.”
If the Lumberjacks can battle with San Bernardino on the glass and win the turnover battle, they should have enough offensive firepower to hang with the Coyotes. The ‘Jacks certainly have more size than their elite opponent, but they will have to play their best game if they’re going to topple the best team in the CCAA.
The implications of the game are also heightened after the loss to Dominguez Hills. Humboldt needs to win three of their last four to guarantee a spot in the conference tournament. The most critical games will be against Cal State LA and Cal Poly Pomona, as beating those two would almost certainly prevent them from being able to jump ahead of the ‘Jacks in the standings. But Humboldt would need to also knock off one of the top two teams, either San Bernardino or San Marcos, to ensure a spot in the postseason.
Of course, the best-case scenario is a clean sweep of all four. If Humboldt is able to do that, it may be enough to get them into the NCAA tournament.
In order to reach that ideal scenario, coach Norwood and the ‘Jacks will rely on the same approach they’ve maintained all season: one game at a time.