HAYWARD – Facing a team that they defeated by 39 points a month ago and with an opportunity to secure a home game in the first round of the California Collegiate Athletic Association playoffs, the Humboldt State women's basketball team were stunned by the Pioneers of Cal State East Bay 75-73 on Wednesday night.
The loss leaves the Jacks with a 16-9 overall record, 14-7 in CCAA action. CSUEB improves to 2-24, 2-19 in conference play.
Box Score
HSU which came into the game tied with Chico State for third place in the conference and a game ahead of Cal State Monterey Bay, needed only a win to confirm a home date in the first round of the conference playoffs. Now the Jacks have to defeat UCSD in La Jolla on Friday or hope that CSUMB loses at least one of their remaining two games; at Cal Poly Pomona or at Cal State San Bernardino.
The Jacks had the ball with nine seconds remaining and trailing 75-73. Andrea Bobic took a shot that was blocked out of bounds by the Pioneers Marlene MacMillan with less than a second left.
The Lumberjacks inbounded the ball. Lisa Petty took and made the tying bucket but was called for an offensive foul, which nullified the basket and left the Jacks stunned by a two-point loss.
The Pioneers who came into the game averaging 57 points per game and were shooting just 32 percent from the floor, scored a season high 75 points and hit 46 percent of their shots.
CSUEB had three players in double figures, led by Claudia Nelson with 18 points and five rebounds. Andrea Rodriguez added 12 points and Lauren Lucchesi chipped in with 11 points and a team high nine rebounds.
The Jacks had five players, each of their starters, in double figures. Paige Peterson led the way with 17 points and nine rebounds. Bobic finished with 14 points. Brittney Taylor had 12 points and nine boards and Bree Halsey and Petty had 10 apiece.
HSU led much of the first half and took its largest lead, nine points, on a Bobic 3-pointer with 15:43 to go, but within five minutes the Pioneers had erased the Jacks advantage. A 13-5 run, led by five points from Nelson, gave CSUEB a 22-21 lead with 9:19 left in the half.
The teams traded bucket for the next four minutes and were tied 27-27 with 4:55 left. HSU finished the half with a 9-4 run and led 36-31 as the teams went to the locker rooms.
To open the second half, the Jacks scored four quick points to push their lead back to nine, 40-31. They kept the advantage until 10:30 remained in the game, when MacMillan hit a jumper to give East Bay a 53-51 lead.
Over the next 9:30 the teams were tied four times and the lead changed 10 times with neither squad able to get more than a three point advantage.
With one minute left Bobic hit a 3-pointer to tie the score 71-71, but the Pioneers hit a pair of free throws and a jumper either side of a Taylor bucket to lead 75-73 with nine seconds to play.
The Jacks had two chances to tie the game, but came up short handing the Pioneers just their second win of the year.
HSU wraps up the regular season on Friday when they face the Tritons of UC San Diego in La Jolla. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
