COMING UP: The Evergreen State College (4-17 overall, CCC 1-13) plays a pair of nationally ranked opponents on the road this weekend. The Geoducks face No. 17-ranked Warner Pacific (20-6, 10-4) on Friday and No. 13 Concordia (20-5, 10-4) on Saturday, with both game slated to begin at 7:30 p.m.

FOLLOW THE GEODUCKS: If you are unable to make the trip to Portland, you can still follow your favorite team via video stream and live stats.
Warner Pacific: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/wpc/
Concordia: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/cuportland/

ABOUT THE GEODUCKS: Evergreen ranks No. 2 among NAIA Division II programs in turnover margin, giving the ball away 10.0 times per game compared to 15.4 for its opponents. The team is 10th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.374 and 15th in three-point field goals made with 8.76 per game. The Geoducks score 74.7 points per game while allowing 83.8 and they average 12.8 rebounds per game less than their foes. The Geoducks rank second in the conference with .717 accuracy at the free throw line. Senior forward Jordan Dam leads the team with 14.5 points per game, and junior forward Alix Hernandez averages 12.3 points while leading the team in rebounding (6.3), assists (3.2) and steals (1.5). Junior forward/center Brock Otis also contributes double-figure scoring with 11.1 points per game.

ABOUT WARNER PACIFIC: Based on the preseason coaches' poll, the Warner Pacific Knights have to be considered the conference's biggest overachievers. The CCC coaches picked the Knights to finish seventh in the 10-team league, and they are currently tied for second with Concordia. The Knights are 20-6 overall, 10-4 in the CCC and have compiled a 9-3 record at Bart Valentine Court. They do it primarily with defense, compiling the league's best scoring defense at 62.7 points per game, in addition to the league-leading top defensive marks for opponent field goal percentage (.382) and three-point percentage (.284). Warner Pacific has scored 76.4 points per game for a positive 13.8 scoring margin, best in the CCC, though they are a negative 2.2 in rebounding. Additionally, the Knights have turned the ball over just 12.4 times per game while forcing about 17 per game by their opponents. Senior forward Doug Thomas averages 15.3 points per game and junior guard Earl Jones contributes 15.2 points and 2.5 steals per game. Senior forward Coletun Tarr adds 14.6 points per game to the mix, while senior forward Michael Hall is the team's top rebounder with 6.7 per game.

THE LAST TIME: Visiting Warner Pacific scorched the nets, shooting 67 percent from the field in handling the Geoducks their biggest loss of the season, 92-55, on Jan. 17. Ryan Parks was perfect on all five of his three-point attempts on the way to a game-high 17 points, while Earl Jones added 14 points and six assists for the Knights. Marquise Doss led the Geoducks with 12 points and David Weatherspoon came off the bench to add 10 points and a team-high five rebounds.

ABOUT CONCORDIA: The Cavaliers are tied for second in the conference standings with a 10-4 record and they are 20-5 overall. Ranked No. 13 in the country, they have compiled a 10-3 home court record. They average 78.5 points and give up 69.7 per game, and they are positive 6.8 rebounds per game. Additionally, though they turn the ball over 15.4 times per game they force 19.0 by their opponents. Point guard Tyler Velasquez leads the team with 15.8 points and 5.0 assists per game and is the conference leader in minutes played with 35.2 per game. Esvan Middleton, a senior forward, leads the league with 11.4 rebounds per contest while scoring at a 9.4 clip. Senior forward Thomas Pierce averages 11.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals, and 6-10 senior center Justyn Searle contributes 11.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting .567 from the field. Anthony Holton is another double-figure scorer with 11.7 points per game.

THE LAST TIME: Evergreen rallied from a 21-point second half deficit to pull within five points late, but eventually visiting Concordia pulled away to garner an 88-74 win on Jan. 16. Alix Hernandez had a huge game for the Geoducks with 22 points, five rebounds and eight assists, and Brock Otis finished the game with 16 points and five steals. Esvan Middleton, a 6-7 senior, recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds and he added five assists for the Cavaliers, who ended up with five players in double figures.

EVERGREEN 73, OREGON TECH 71: The Geoducks ended two months of frustration and an 11-game losing skid with their 73-71 home court win over Oregon Tech last Friday night. Alix Hernandez, who notched a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, scoring the winning basket with about 14 seconds left in the game. With the score tied and the shot clock winding down, Hernandez, a 6-1 forward, worked his way along the right baseline past the basket and then banked the ball off the glass and through the hoop. The Owls had a chance to either tie or win but Josh Johnson's three-point attempt hit the side of the rim and bounded away, giving the Geoducks the much-needed victory. Johnson got the open look when Evergreen doubled OIT's leading scorer, Lavar Moore, who is a 45 percent shooter from beyond the arc. A key to the victory was limiting Moore to just 13 points, 10 below his season average.

SOUTHERN OREGON 83, EVERGREEN 71: Tim Weber recorded a triple-double and five Southern Oregon players scored in double figures as the No. 17-ranked Raiders defeated the host Geoducks, 83-71, last Saturday night. Jordan Dam, held scoreless in the first half, scored 23 points in the final period to lead the Geoducks, who also got 18 points from Alix Hernandez.

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