Box Score ARCATA — A slow start put Humboldt State in a deep hole that it almost climbed out of before falling to Cal Poly Pomona, 66-54 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association basketball opener Wednesday.

The loss drops the Lumberjacks to 2-1 on the young season while starting their league campaign at 0-1. Cal Poly Pomona, ranked No. 2 in the CCAA preseason coaches' poll, is now 2-0.

Trailing 58-41 with just under six minutes remaining in the game, the Jacks mounted a furious charge that began with Alec Williams' jumper. They continued to surge, going on a 13-2 run that pulled HSU within six points when Brandon Woods drained a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 59 seconds remaining.

That's as close as the Lumberjacks could get, however, as consecutive misses on 3-point attempts and a pair of layups by the Broncos' Terrence Drisdom put the game out of reach again.

"I'm proud that our players kept their poise and sustained a nice comeback," HSU head coach Steve Kinder said. "Our new players now realize the caliber of play in the CCAA. It's encouraging to know we can play with a team that is one of the top teams in our league, and we'll have a chance to beat them next time."

Early in the game, Humboldt State didn't look like it could beat a flock of Thanksgiving turkeys. The Lumberjacks missed their first seven shots from the field, and trailed 15-1 six minutes into the contest.

"(Cal Poly Pomona) is well known for its match-up zone," Kinder said. "There's a reason they ranked No. 1 in the country last year in scoring defense. They had a hand up in the face of our shooters, and they contested all of our passes, too."

Alec Williams, the only Lumberjack in double-figures scoring with 18 points, helped his team chip into the Broncos' lead, eventually pulling the Jacks within 11 with a layup and free throw at the 6:21 mark of the opening period. Cal Poly Pomona regained momentum on Barry Bell's jumper and a 3-pointer by Mitchel Anderson to gain a 33-19 lead at the half.

Anderson led all scorers in the game with 19 points, including a 3-for-8 performance from 3-point range. Mohamed Fall added 13 points and Drisdom scored 10 to aid the Broncos' efforts.

Along with Williams' team-high effort, the Jacks received nine points from both Austin Bryan and Brandon Woods, both of whom contributed key 3-pointers in the closing surge. Deaundry Robinson scored seven points and grabbed a team-best six rebounds, and both Bryan and Cody Kale dished four assists.

Humboldt State returns to non-league action Saturday when it hosts Holy Names College at 7:30 p.m. in Lumberjack Arena. Prior to the men's game, the Humboldt State women open CCAA play against Cal Poly Pomona, with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.