ARCATA — Relentless is the most appropriate term describing Humboldt State's approach to Friday's women's basketball game against Cal State Stanislaus. Scrambling after loose balls, hitting the open shot, and never backing down despite the one-sided score, the host Lumberjack emerged with the 77-43 win against a respectable opponent.

"In the first half our defense was relentless and smothering, which initiated our offense," Humboldt State head women's basketball coach Joddie Gleason said. "Our defense did a good job of forcing them to do what they didn't want to do."

Brittney Taylor's 19 points led HSU, and Paige Peterson and Andrea Bobic each added nine points in a game that allowed head coach Joddie Gleason to employ all of her reserves. As a unit, HSU was a model of efficiency, shooting 51 percent from the field and out-rebounding its opponent, 49-28.

Humboldt State kept pace in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings, improving to 16-6 overall and 11-4 in league. Cal State Stanislaus dropped to 11-11 overall and 6-9 in the CCAA.

In the game's early minutes, Bobic popped open on the wing for two three-pointers, and Katie Franci stepped in for a steal and coast-to-coast drive for a layup. The quick start provided the Jacks with a 14-4 lead only five minutes into the game.

Everybody got in on the action over the next 15 minutes, the bench playing a big role in a 30-12 run that finished off the first half with the Jacks ahead, 44-16. Ten different Lumberjacks added to the point totals in the opening period.

"It was nice to play everyone," Gleason said. "In a game we needed, it was nice to give all players the reward of playing after working hard in practice. This is the time you want your team to peak and we're playing our best and it's giving us confidence. We're moving in the right direction."

The Warriors best efforts came in the middle of the second half, when they scored eight straight points, including three-pointers by Christin Gowan and Heather Highshoe. That trimmed the Lumberjacks' lead to 53-26, as tight as the game would get the rest of the way.

Highshoe scored 12 points to lead the Warriors, and Katie Busi added 11.

Humboldt State is back on the floor Saturday, taking on Chico State at 5:30 p.m. in Lumberjack Arena. The Lumberjacks will try to avenge a defeat suffered to the Wildcats on Jan. 9 in Chico.

Newspaper Box Score
CSU Stanislaus vs Humboldt State University
2/13/09 5:30 p.m. at Arcata, Calif. (Lumberjack Arena)
At Arcata, Calif. (Lumberjack Arena)
HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY 77, CSU STANISLAUS 43
CSU STANISLAUS (11-11, 6-9 CCAA)
HIGHSHOE, Heather 4-7 0-0 12; BUSI, Katie 3-7 4-6 11; ARENT, Rebecca 2-3 0-0
4; WILLIAMS, Lysandra 1-8 2-2 4; MARSHALL, Andreanna 1-3 1-2 3; GOWAN,
Christin 1-5 0-0 3; HUGHES, Torrie 1-3 0-0 2; ROWE, Jeanette 0-1 2-2 2;
BERTOMEN, Samantha 0-3 1-2 1; OLSON, Sarah 0-1 1-2 1; OLVEDA, Nathalie 0-5
0-0 0; CHRIST, Krystin 0-0 0-0 0; TURNER, Antwinette 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 13-51
11-16 43.
HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY (16-6, 11-4 CCAA)
TAYLOR, Brittney 9-16 1-5 19; PETERSON, Paige 4-9 0-0 9; BOBIC, Andrea 3-7
0-0 9; KILGORE, Taylor 3-8 0-0 8; FRANCI, Katie 3-9 1-2 7; ALABA, Trisha 2-3
0-0 5; ENOS, Jennifer 1-1 2-4 5; HALSEY, Bree 2-3 0-0 4; WILLIAMS, Kayla 2-2
0-0 4; HOWARD, Whitney 0-0 3-6 3; O'KEEFE, Kristina 1-1 0-0 2; OSBORNE,
Luiza 0-0 2-3 2; SHEPHERD, Ashley 0-0 0-0 0; WILSON, Alyssa 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 30-59 9-20 77.
CSU Stanislaus................   16   27  -   43
Humboldt State University.....   44   33  -   77
3-point goals--CSU Stanislaus 6-19 (HIGHSHOE, Heather 4-7; BUSI, Katie 1-1;
GOWAN, Christin 1-5; BERTOMEN, Samantha 0-1; OLVEDA, Nathalie 0-2; TURNER,
Antwinette 0-1; WILLIAMS, Lysandra 0-2), Humboldt State University 8-18
(BOBIC, Andrea 3-5; KILGORE, Taylor 2-7; ALABA, Trisha 1-2; ENOS, Jennifer
1-1; PETERSON, Paige 1-1; FRANCI, Katie 0-2). Fouled out--CSU
Stanislaus-None, Humboldt State University-None. Rebounds--CSU Stanislaus 28
(OLVEDA, Nathalie 4), Humboldt State University 49 (FRANCI, Katie 7; BOBIC,
Andrea 7). Assists--CSU Stanislaus 8 (WILLIAMS, Lysandra 2; HIGHSHOE,
Heather 2; OLVEDA, Nathalie 2), Humboldt State University 18 (PETERSON,
Paige 5; FRANCI, Katie 5). Total fouls--CSU Stanislaus 17, Humboldt State
University 16. Technical fouls--CSU Stanislaus-None, Humboldt State
University-None. A-730