HAYWARD — Humboldt State's defense clamped down in the second half, limiting Cal State East Bay to two field goals in the first 16 minutes of the period on the way to a 64-50 victory on Wednesday.

Boxscore

Brian Morris scored 24 points to lead three Lumberjacks in double figures, helping HSU maintain a share of first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Only a late surge by Cal State East Bay's reserves kept the score respectable, Demitrius Owens scoring eight points to lead the Pioneers' offensively.

Also in double digits for HSU were Zac Tiedeman, who had 15 points, and Kevin Atkins, who scored 11 with a team-besst eight rebounds.

The win improved HSU to 20-6 overall, marking the ninth time Humboldt State head coach Tom Wood has had a team achieve the 20-win plateau in his 29 years guiding the Jacks. More importantly, the Jacks improved to 17-4 in the CCAA.

The Pioneers' efforts on the boards in the first half resulted in second chance opportunities that they converted from the field and free throw line. By halftime, CSUEB had outscored HSU 9-1 at the free throw line alone, taking a 30-29 lead into the break.

Humboldt State opened the second period with an Atkins' 3-pointer, and continued on a 19-0 run that gave the Jacks a 48-30 lead on Morris' free throws. Morris also pounded the boards, pulling down seven rebounds to help HSU gain an eventual 40-38 edge by game's conclusion.

Jun  Uchida's 3-pointer with 9:22 remaining finally broke the long scoreless stretch. That shot didn't check the Jacks for long, however, as they continued their surge ahead by 26 points on Morris' layup and free throw.

Humboldt State remains on the road to finish the regular season Friday at UC San Diego. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.