Game Details:
Date: December 9, 2006
Opponent: Dominican University at California
Mascot: Penguins
Tip-off: 7:30 pm
Venue: Haynes-Prim Pavilion
City, State: Atherton, CA

This Week: The Oaks (3-4/0-0 Cal Pac) begin their Cal Pac Conference season against Dominican University who is currently 2-8 overall, 0-1 Cal Pac.

Scouting the Penguins: Dominican is averaging 59 points a game and 24.8 rebounds a game. Junior college transfer Pat Fahy, who was picked Cal Pac Player of the week two weeks ago, is leading the Penguins with 13.8 points per game and 7.0 rebounds a game.

Scouting the Oaks: In their last game, a 53-51 victory over NCAA DII Hawai’i Pacific University, senior Israel Torres achieved his first double-double with 10 points and a season high 11 rebounds along with two block shots. Leading the Oaks in points, juniors Cody Christensen and Bryon Wesley both finished with twelve each.

Cal Pac Conference Notes: After finishing fourth last year in the Cal Pac, the Oaks are picked to finish second in the Cal Pac Coaches Preseason Poll behind Holy Names, last years Cal Pac Champions.

Menlo History: Since joining the NAIA, the Menlo men’s basketball team has accumulated a winning overall record (266-248). The Oaks have won two Cal Pac Championships and made two appearances to the NAIA Tournament, last one in 2001-02 season.

Series Notes: Since the 1986-87 season, the Oaks lead the series 17-10. Menlo was victorious over Dominican in their last meeting with a final score of 64-49 in San Rafael, CA.

About the Coaches: An assistant the past three seasons, Brandon Laird was elevated to Menlo College’s head men’s basketball coach this past June. Laird, a UC-Davis graduate, inherits a program that showed dramatic improvement between each of his three seasons as an assistant, capping the run with a 17-11 showing during the 2005-06 campaign. Under Laird’s assistance, the Oaks also shined in the classroom. During the 2005-06 school year, Menlo accumulated a 3.2 cumulative team GPA and eight Oaks were named to the college’s Dean’s List.

The highly successful high school coach, who captured six Marin County Athletic League titles and five North Coast Section championships while at San Rafael High School, Bret Tovani is in his second year at Dominican University.