Box Score ARCATA — Humboldt State's pressing defense forced Southern Oregon into 25 turnovers and the Jacks' well-balanced offense also clicked in a 97-81 blowout Monday in Lumberjack Arena.

Leading by 13 points at halftime, the Jacks finished off the Raiders with a 16-6 run in the opening moments of the second half. Randy Hunter led the surge, coming up with consecutive steals and a layup that stretched the Jacks' lead to 63-38 with 14 minutes, 41 seconds left to play. Hunter finished the night with five steals and 10 points.

The victory improves Humboldt State's record to 3-0 overall, and dating back to last season, was its 17th consecutive homecourt win. Southern Oregon's record dropped to 3-4.

With his team controlling the tempo from tip-off, HSU head coach Steve Kinder was able to experiment on a variety of fronts early in the season. Key to the Jacks' productivity was the research conducted by assistant coach Hardy Asprilla.

"Coach Asprilla really did the homework this week, studying video and breaking down what would work well for us," Kinder said. "He had us ready to go."

Once again, the Lumberjacks made it difficult for their opponent to key on a single player, finishing with six players scoring in double figures. Brandon Sperling had 19, Austin Bryan and Scott Clark each added 14, and Matt Lipski contributed 12 points.

Senior forward Kyle Baxter scored 11 points, but his contributions weren't limited to point production. Baxter ripped down a team-high nine rebounds, equaling his career high, and also dished four assists to go along with his five steals.

"We have a lot of weapons, offensively," Kinder said. "Over the course of the season, that really pays off. It's inevitable that you'll have players get hurt or become ill. When you have more players who can contribute, you're able to get through that adversity."

Southern Oregon was led by Jordan Highland's 22 points, and Eric Thompson's double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Tim Weber contributed a team-high five assists.

After grabbing the opening tip, the Lumberjacks quickly established a 10-0 lead. Lipski, whose hometown is Ashland, Ore., where SOU is located, scored six points and dished an assist that gave HSU a 14-2 lead.

From that point on, Southern Oregon was forced to play catch-up, and the Raiders managed to close within five points when Kyle Tedder sank a three-pointer at the 6:44 mark of the first half. But more SOU turnovers quickly contributed to the 45-32 lead HSU held at the break.

"This is only the third time we've used our press, and it's getting more mature each time we play," Kinder said.

Humboldt State plays its final non-conference game Saturday, tipping off against Simon Fraser at 7:30 p.m. on the backside of a doubleheader. Humboldt State's women open the evening and California Collegiate Athletic Association play with a 5:30 p.m. game against Sonoma State.