The SF State men’s basketball team will square off against the CSULA Golden Eagles on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in The Swamp.

The Gators will vie for California Collegiate Athletic Association conference positioning against the Golden Eagles just a little more than one month out from playoff ball.

The program will look to shrug off a close 64-56 loss to Cal Poly Pomona on Jan. 26 that dropped them to 11-7 overall and 7-6 in CCAA conference play. The Gators are currently tied for seventh place with the Golden Eagles in the conference.

Senior guard Niquis Garland will look to continue his strong play, building on his career-high 20 points on six-of-nine shooting against Cal Poly Pomona. He also shot five of seven from behind the three-point line.

Senior center Ryne Williams also played well in his last contest, coming up just shy of a double-double with eight points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

CSULA enters Thursday’s game with an 11-8 overall record and a 7-6 conference record — identical to SF State in the CCAA standings. The Golden Eagles are coming off an impressive 77-57 victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills, in which junior guard Fard Muhammad scored 22 points shooting seven of nine.

A victory will move SF State into a tie for sixth place in the CCAA standings, and create some much needed separation in what is becoming a tight CCAA playoff race.