Arizona road swing awaits Keelhaulers

SCHEDULE NOTE: Since all three road games taking place this week involve Arizona-based opponents, PLEASE NOTE THE PACIFIC TIME ZONE TIPOFF TIMES LISTED FOR EACH DAY. All three Arizona schools are based in the Mountain Time Zone, one hour ahead of Vallejo/PT.

Game 12

Cal Maritime Keelhaulers (3-8, 3-2 Cal Pac)
at
Benedictine Mesa Redhawks (4-10, 2-4 Cal Pac)

Thursday, Jan. 5 – 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT
Mesa, Ariz. – Chandler-Gilbert Community College

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Live Stats


Game 13

Cal Maritime Keelhaulers
at
Park Gilbert Buccaneers (3-9, 1-4 Cal Pac)

Friday, Jan. 6 – 6:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. MT
Mesa, Ariz. – Bell Bank Park (Powered by Legacy Sports)

Video
Live Stats


Game 14

Cal Maritime Keelhaulers
at
Embry-Riddle Eagles (4-8, 2-3 Cal Pac)

Sunday, Jan. 8 – 3 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. MT
Prescott, Ariz. – ERAU Activity Center

Video
Live Stats



VALLEJO, Calif. – Cal Maritime's six-game road swing will continue this (extended) weekend when it heads to Arizona to face three opponents within a four-day timespan. This trip through Arizona will commence on Thursday with a 6 p.m. PT Cal Pac matchup at Benedictine Mesa, continue the following day with a 6:30 p.m. PT league tilt at Park Gilbert, and conclude with Sunday's 3 p.m. PT conference contest at Embry-Riddle.

Please note the tip times listed at PT above since all three games will take place at locations based in the Mountain Time Zone, which is one hour ahead of Vallejo and other West Coast locations.

Half of men's basketball's season-long six-game road swing will take place this week in a situation that will closely mirror one faced by teams participating in the league's year-end postseason tournament. Tournament participants may play up to three games in as many days (the Cal Pac's top two seeds will enjoy an opening-round bye), a situation the Keelhaulers can prepare wisely for, if they make the playoffs, by learning how to properly rest, recover and train for competition while traveling throughout the upcoming weekend.

Up first for CSUM is a Benedictine Mesa squad that only won one of six games played at home so far this season, a result earned against La Sierra early last month.

Since that victory, the Redhawks dropped four of five games and earned its lone win during that timespan on the road at Park Gilbert. That block of basketball ended on December 30 with the second of consecutive home games, in as many days, versus Northern New Mexico College.

Both games ended with a Buccaneer loss.

In last year's matchup, the Keelhaulers earned a thrilling one-point win that spearheaded a home sweep against Arizona-based Cal Pac teams that visited PEAC Main Gym throughout the weekend, which included a victory versus Park Gilbert in the only head-to-head matchup and inaugural meeting between the two in program history.

Twenty-four hours after squaring off against Benedictine Mesa, men's basketball will face Park Gilbert in its first-ever road game against the Buccaneers. If this season turns out the way Cal Maritime wants, Friday's visit to Bell Bank Park will serve as the first of two visits since this multi-sport complex will serve as the home of February's Cal Pac Men's Basketball Championship.

Before facing the Keelhaulers, Park Gilbert will head to Embry-Riddle on Tuesday prior to opening a brief two-game homestand on Thursday against Pacific Union.

Entering this week's schedule, the Buccaneers lost their last four games in a row.

A well-deserved day off will follow CSUM's back-to-back games, allowing the team to prep and head to Embry-Riddle for the weekend's final road contest.

As is the case with Park Gilbert, the Eagles enter their upcoming schedule for the week with four losses in a row.

Of Embry-Riddle's four wins, all were earned on the road since it dropped all five played on its home court this season. However, five of its upcoming games will take place in Prescott; following this week's visits by Park Gilbert, Pacific Union and Cal Maritime, Saint Katherine and Westcliff will compete inside the ERAU Activity Center.