New all-time scoring record within reach entering season-ending Arizona road trip

Game 23

Cal Maritime Keelhaulers (2-20, 2-16 Cal Pac)
at
Park Gilbert Buccaneers (13-12, 11-7 Cal Pac)

Thursday, Feb. 22 – 4:30 p.m. PT / 5:30 p.m. MT
Mesa, Ariz. – Arizona Athletic Grounds

Video
Live Stats
Map/Directions to Arizona Athletic Grounds (formerly known as Legacy Park)

Game 24

Cal Maritime Keelhaulers
at
Benedictine Mesa Redhawks (13-11, 13-5 Cal Pac)

Saturday, Feb. 24 – 2 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. MT
Phoenix – The PHHacility

Video
Live Stats
Map/Directions to The PHHacility


VALLEJO, Calif. – Cal Maritime will head to Arizona for the final games of the season when it squares off against Park Gilbert on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. PT (5:30 p.m. MT) and Benedict Mesa for Saturday's 2 p.m. PT (3 p.m. MT) matchup. 

Please note that locations for both games will take place one hour ahead of the Pacific Time Zone.

Both games will take place off-site from respective schools: Arizona Athletics Grounds (click previous link for Google Map/directions) will host Thursday's conference clash with The PHHacility set to host Saturday's regular season finale.

This week's matchups are the last for a pair of Keelhaulers who will graduate in the spring with their graduate and undergraduate degree, respectively: Alicia Porter and Marissa Serrano.

Porter is on the cusp of setting a new career all-time record and faces two opportunities to accomplish this feat since she is 19 points shy of becoming the program's No. 1 scorer.

As has been the case for nearly the entire season, she is the only Cal Pac player averaging a double-double this season: she ranks No. 4 in points and rebounds per game with respective averages of 16.8 and 10.2.

In addition to the Simi Valley native, Aysia Santos is ranked among the league's top players since she sits third with a 3.4 assists per game clip against conference opponents; Kai Kraus also occupies a spot in this category, among the league's top 10, due to her 2.6 apg average.

Cal Maritime secured a victory for this duo in their final appearance at PEAC Gym last week, and have its sights set on accomplishing the same result this week, albeit in a road game, starting Thursday night at Park Gilbert.

With four berths at the Cal Pac's year-end postseason tournament already set, Cal Maritime has an opportunity to play the role of spoiler against a Park Gilbert squad that enters the week in sole possession of fifth place, ahead of three teams with identical records battling for the sixth, and final playoff spot.

In their first matchup of the season, fans at PEAC Main Gym enjoyed a fierce battle between the Buccaneers and Keelhaulers for three quarters, but a second quarter that saw Park outscore CSUM by served as the difference in a game Cal Maritime lost.

Park Gilbert will enter its penultimate home game on skid after dropping its last three played: at home versus Saint Katherine and on the road at UC Merced and Simpson.

Last week, Benedictine Mesa secured a spot in the league's playoff event, providing a unique opportunity in its season finale against the Keelhaulers.

Cal Maritime has earned a conference-wide reputation as an up-and-coming program that provides a stiff challenge to any opponent, regardless of their position within the Cal Pac's standings. If the Redhawks choose to strategically rest or limit minutes played within their rotation, the Keelhaulers' chance to leave Arizona and return home with a win improve dramatically.

With Cal Maritime facing an opportunity to play without any stress or limitations, combined with the Redhawks' unique situation — no coach wants to enter the postseason off a loss or provide more wear and tear to players than absolutely necessary — Saturday's season finale provides a chance for the Keelhaulers to cap the first year of the Coach Amen-Ra era on a positive note and build momentum for the program to continue its growth throughout the off-season.