ARCATA – The Humboldt State women's basketball team outscored the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders 49-33 in the second half, but could not overcome a 30-point half time deficit and lost 80-66 in the final game of the Humboldt State Classic on Saturday night.

The loss leaves the Jacks at 6-2 overall. Northwest Nazarene in now 7-1.

Box Score

Brittney Taylor scored 21 of her game-high 27 points and grabbed six of her eight rebounds in the second half as the Jacks rallied from as many as 38 points down.

With the score 59-21 and 15 minutes, 23 seconds left in the game, HSU began chipping away.  Kayla Williams scored the Jacks next seven points over a three-minute period and combined with aggressive defense HSU whittled the Crusaders lead down to 11 with 59 seconds remaining.  The 11-point deficit would be as close as the Jacks would get as they fell 80-66.

“I feet better about this loss than last night's win, as far as how we finished the game,” head coach Joddie Gleason said.  “We showed a lot of character and resiliency.  We just dug ourselves to big a hole.”

The Lumberjacks played well to start the game and trailed 13-9 with 10:30 left in the first half, but a 34-8 run for NNU to finish the half was the difference in the game.  The Crusaders took a 47-17 lead to the half. 

“We have to learn to re-focus during the game rather than at the half,” Gleason said.  “When we play a really good team, like we did tonight, they make you pay when you don't rotate well on defense or if you aren't physical and aggressive.  It seemed like they hit every open shot in the first half and out worked us.”

Northwest Nazarene was led by tournament MVP Kristin Hein who finished the night with 14 points and 23 rebounds.  Three other Crusaders also scored in double figures.  Heather Adams had 14, Brittney Roggenkamp and Jannee Olds added 12 apiece.

Olds was named to the all-tournament team along with Hein, HSU's Taylor, Katie Busi of Cal State Stanislaus and Jennifer Dreessen of Notre Dame de Namur.