Keelhaulers head south for upcoming tests at La Sierra, Antelope Valley

Game 14

Cal Maritime Keelhaulers (5-9, 5-3 Cal Pac)
at
La Sierra Golden Eagles (2-14, 2-6 Cal Pac)

Thursday, Jan. 12 – 7:30 p.m.
Riverside, Calif. – Alumni Pavilion

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Game 15

Cal Maritime Keelhaulers
at
(RV) Antelope Valley Pioneers (13-1, 7-1 Cal Pac)

Saturday, Jan. 14 – 4 p.m.
Lancaster, Calif. – Pioneer Event Center

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VALLEJO, Calif. – Cal Maritime will face a unique challenge, and a phenomenal opportunity, when it heads to Southern California for this weekend's Cal Pac games at La Sierra and Antelope Valley. In addition to serving as the final two of a season-long six-game road swing, which started on December 31 at Simpson, a young Cal Maritime men's basketball team will battle the league's top team when it squares off against Antelope Valley — a team receiving votes in the NAIA's latest national poll and enters the week atop the conference standings.

Of La Sierra's 16 games played so far this season, its December 20 matchup versus Saint Katherine was the only one to take place on its home floor; the Keelhaulers are the first of five straight teams visiting Riverside throughout the Golden Eagles' upcoming homestand.

Able to compete inside Alumni Pavilion for a healthy portion of its schedule for the first time this season, LSU will provide a stiff challenge for a Cal Maritime team looking to extend its current win streak after securing victories in the final two games of last weekend's road swing through Arizona. 

Following Thursday's event against the Golden Eagles, CSUM will end the weekend against the Cal Pac's lone representative in the latest NAIA national poll — an Antelope Valley roster that received votes after sweeping last weekend's games at UC Merced and Simpson.

Those two results took place after the Pioneers suffered their inaugural loss of the season on December 29 when Saint Katherine visited Lancaster and left with a victory.

As is the case with its game at La Sierra, Cal Maritime is part of the Pioneers' five-game homestand — one that commences Thursday evening against Pacific Union.

When action ends in Southern California and the Keelhaulers head home, the team will enter the back-half of league play with a home-heavy schedule that includes seven of the final 10 games versus Cal Pac opponents taking place inside PEAC Main Gym.

Entering this week's schedule in fourth place, one-half game behind UC Merced, this home court advantage holds the potential to dramatically influence men's basketball's postseason potential since the league's top six teams will earn a trip to Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Arizona — site of this year's Cal Pac Men's Basketball Championship, hosted by Park Gilbert.