ARCATA — Leading from nearly start to finish, Humboldt State couldn't quite break away from the Menlo College Oaks on Saturday, but still improved to 2-0 on the season with a 76-65 victory.
Boxscore
Four players scored in double figures for HSU, which put up 50 points in the second half following a slow start. Both teams struggled offensively out of the gates, the Jacks shooting only 29 percent from the field in the first half to the Oaks' 35 percent.
"They had a nice defensive scheme to eliminate our touches close to the basket," HSU head coach
Steve Kinder said. "Both teams were playing hard, with high intensity. But we just weren't hitting the open jump shots."
Brian Morris, who was held scoreless in the first half, busted out for 14 points in the second half while adding a game-high 10 rebounds. Randy Hunter put forth another solid effort for HSU, scoring 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Brandon Sperling scored 13 points and Scott Clark came off the bench to add 11.
"Randy's a workhorse," Kinder said. "He makes good things happen. We feel good about what he'd bringing to the team."
Along with Clark, DJ Broome was another player who came off the bench to give the Jacks a lift. The junior guard added four points, but also came up with two critical steals that helped the Jacks maintain their momentum.
"Scott continues to make good decisions on when to penetrate and when he shouldn't," Kinder said. "And DJ gave us a real spark. He's a hustler who makes things happen when he's in the game."
Menlo was led by Julian Harris, who finished 10-of-20 from the field, scoring 25 points to lead all scorers. Nick McCullar was the only other Oak in double figures, adding 12 points.
HSU improved its shooting to 52 percent in the second half, finishing at 41 percent for the game. The Lumberjacks also held a heavy advantage on the boards, grabbing 41 rebounds to the Oaks' 31.
The Lumberjacks head on the road for the first time this year when they travel to Chico for the weekend's annual Mac Martin Tournament. HSU will play Dominican University on Friday and Northwest Christian on Saturday.
