The San Francisco State University men’s basketball team will face a four-game road trip in the next two weeks. With the regular season winding down and only six available playoff spots, these upcoming games could be essential in making a playoff berth.
The Gators sit among four other teams tied for fifth place with a 5-7 record in the California Collegiate Athletic Association conference with 10 more regular season games remaining.
With six of their final 10 games being on the road, their success away from home will be crucial in making it to the postseason.
Starting guard and leading scorer Tyjean Burrell said the Gators feel ready for their upcoming road trip and understand what the results could entail for a spot in the playoffs.
“You take it one game at a time, but there’s some key games that are coming up, especially this week,” Burrell said. “It’s exciting to go on this road trip and it’s something that I think we’ve prepared for the whole season.”
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Forward John Bakke has started in all 18 games this season and is the second-leading scorer on the team with 12.9 points per game. Bakke said there are physical differences when playing on the road.
“The routine change is the biggest thing, but I think more so on the body physically,” Bakke said. “Especially when you play high minutes, it just takes away from your routine with how you stretch, how you get ready, how you prepare.”
Burrell weighed in on the differences he’s noticed mentally when playing in away games.
“You have to deal with the crowd a little bit more,” Burrell said. “And obviously, you’re at their place, so you have to lock in more.”
Gators head coach Vince Inglima added why he believes playing on the road can be more difficult than playing at home.
“It’s a crowd impact for sure, but also, you’re more uncomfortable,” Inglima said. “There’s different eye lines for shooting, even simple things like different locker rooms and a different schedule for preparation.”
Bakke is currently ranked 10th and Burell is ranked 12th in total points in the CCAA conference. Both players touched on their strong offensive performances this season.
“I think we’re both confident with who we are and who each other are,” Bakke said. “We both expected to carry a big workload individually and together.”
Bakke and Burrell have taken big leaps in their offensive game compared to last season. They have also seen a large increase in minutes on the court, from averaging under 20 minutes per game last year to leading the team this season with 28.5 and 29 minutes per game.
“Last year, we were finding our niche a little bit and I was new to the program,” Burrell said. “We [Bakke and Burrell] had to step up in all aspects of our game, especially being seniors this year.”
Another key contributor for the Gators this season has been their center Pearse Uniacke, who’s leading the conference in blocks by a wide margin. Uniacke has 44 blocks in 18 games this season, which is 16 more than California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt forward Marsai Mason, the second-leading shot blocker.
Bakke said Uniacke’s defensive prowess has helped the Gators’ defense tremendously.
“We all knew as a team what he could bring as a defensive anchor,” Bakke said. “This is just his opportunity to step into that role.”
In the conference, Uniacke is averaging 8.4 points per game while shooting 68.5% from the field. He is also hauling in 6.3 rebounds per game and swatting 2.6 shots per game on the defensive end.
Inglima said Uniacke has been impressive on the offensive end this season with his shooting efficiency from the field.
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“We knew he was a defensive presence around the basket as far as the shot blocking ability,” Inglima said. “But the pleasant surprise is how much growth he’s shown on the offensive end, shooting nearly 70% from the field and taking care of the basketball.”
The Gators would need their blossoming stars to perform well for their upcoming four-game road trip against opponents they’ve already played once before. Coach Inglima commented on facing a conference opponent for the second time in the regular season.
“This is the time where you see the growth of your team really on display,” Inglima said. “We’ve historically had great runs in January and February and hopefully this is another season like that where we hit our stride at the right time.”
Following their game against California State University, Monterey Bay, the Gators will visit California State University, Stanislaus, who are currently tied with them in the conference standings.
Three of their four road matchups are against the bottom three teams in the conference, including Cal State Monterey Bay, Sonoma State University and California State University San Marcos. Bakke said there has to be a sense of urgency heading into this four-game road trip.
“We have to have our backs against the wall,” Bakke said. “We can’t be complacent and feel comfortable at any point, regardless if we have the lead in a game or in the standings.”
The Gators start their road trip on Jan. 29th in Seaside, California, at the Otter Sports Complex against Cal State Monterey Bay at 7:30 p.m. Viewers can tune in to watch this matchup here.