HAYWARD — Brian Morris patrolled the pain with authority, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to lead Humboldt State to a 91-69 win over Cal State East Bay in a California Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball battle Thursday.
Boxscore
HSU improved its overall record to 8-1 overall while keeping pace in the CCAA at 4-1. Cal State East Bay dropped to 2-7 overall while falling to 0-5 in league games.
Three-pointers by Ernie Spada began and ended a 14-4 run that helped the Jacks break away midway through the second period. The outburst put HSU ahead, 71-60, with 8 minutes, 11 seconds remaining.
The Pioneers crept within single digits on Jared Straley's 3-pointer on his team's next possession, but it was the last time they would trim the lead under 10 points. The Jacks finished the game with a 13-2 run that took away the home team's hope.
Also scoring in double digits for the Lumberjacks were Spada, with 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. Brandon Sperling and Randy Hunter each contributed 14 points, and Kyle Baxter had 10 for HSU.
Will Freedman was East Bay's top scorer, adding 16 points. Mark Samuels and Will Toyoma each had 11 points for CSUEB.
Humboldt State started slowly, shooting only 40 percent from the field in the first half, but still held a 40-36 lead at halftime. The Jacks came out firing in the second half, knocking down 56 percent of their field goals to finish 47 percent from the field.
“The difference on offense was actually generated by our defense,” HSU head coach Steve Kinder said. “We changed defenses on them, got a couple of stops, and that seems to ignite our offense”
Humboldt State's defensive efforts forced the Pioneers into 26 turnovers, while the Lumberjacks committed only 15. Sperling had three steals and DJ Broome came away with two.
The Jacks are back in action Sunday, traveling to Rohnert Park to face Sonoma State at 3 p.m. in another CCAA contest.
