Box Score ARCATA — Like a fighter who wouldn't go down, Humboldt State stumbled, reeled and wobbled before coming up with the decisive blow in a 78-75 win over Cal State Los Angeles in the first round of the California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament Tuesday.

Coming back from a 15-point deficit, the Jacks took their first lead of the game when Brandon Sperling sank a pair of free throws with 11 seconds remaining. Cal State Los Angeles set up for the game's final shot, but Quentin Watkin's driving layup was rejected and rebounded by Kyle Baxter. Baxter then heaved the ball downcourt to teammate Randy Hunter, who put an exclamation point on the evening with a power dunk as time expired.

The win sends HSU to La Jolla, site of the tournament's semifinals and finals. No. 3 seed Humboldt State will face No. 2 seed Cal Poly Pomona at noon in Friday's opening game at UC San Diego's RIMAC Arena. The second semifinal, set for 2:30 p.m., matches top-seeded Chico State against No. 4 seed Sonoma State.

"It was lose and stay home, or fight and go to San Diego," HSU head coach Steve Kinder said. "The bottom line tonight was senior leadership. We felt like we needed to leave the seniors in down the stretch and I'm glad we did."

Every senior again played a critical role in the Lumberjacks' success Tuesday, as has been the case all year. But the night belonged to guard D.J. Broome, whose career-high 14 points was only a small reflection of his overall performance.

From the moment he stepped on the court, Broome was at full-throttle, directing the Jacks' offense while dishing five assists and coming up big defensively, with four steals. He also pulled down five rebounds.

"I can't think of a better win in the four years I've been playing here," Broome said. It's more than just extending the season. Our collegiate careers are on the line."

The victory improved Humboldt State to 20-7 on the season, marking the sixth straight year the Jacks' program has achieved 20 or more wins. Cal State Los Angeles ended its season at 16-11.

The careers of Broome, Hunter, Sperling, Baxter and Scott Clark – the Jacks' fifth senior who contributed four points and two clutch rebounds during the Jack's 9-0 run to complete the comeback – appeared to be on course for disaster when Ryan Wetherell ripped a three-pointer midway through the first half that gave the Eagles a 23-8 lead. Humboldt State remained composed, answering with 13 straight points and finally cutting CSLA's lead to two on Hunter's three-pointer.

But the Golden Eagles righted themselves quickly, putting together a surge of their own to gain a 41-30 lead by halftime. They maintained a double-digit lead for most of the first 10 minutes of the second half, going inside to Carl Hoffman, who finished 7-of-9 from the field to score 17 points, just behind Chris Robinson's team-high 19.

Humboldt State began its first recovery effort when the 5-foot, 5-inch Broome drove to the basket for a layup that brought HSU within eight points with 10 minutes, 15 seconds remaining. Freshman Ethan Dillard hit a three-pointer to cut the Eagles' lead to five, and after they answered, Broome drove for another bucket to trip CSLA's lead to 67-62 with 7:22 on the clock.

In less than a minute, Robinson and Watkins drained three-pointers to once again push the lead to 11 points. Again, the Jacks picked up the pace, battling within five again on Baxter's layup at the 3:34 mark.

Baxter's effort initiated the final HSU surge, their swarming defense also contributing by keeping the Eagles scoreless over the last 3 minutes, 15 seconds. They missed their final five shots from the field, including Baxter's block of Hoffman's shot with 1:27 remaining as a prelude to his game-clinching rejection.

Sperling topped the Jacks in scoring with 17 points, with five teammates also scoring in double figures. Along with Broome's 14, Baxter added 12, Dillard 11, and both Hunter and Clark finished with 10.

Cal State L.A.'s dominance of the boards helped build its lead, and the Eagles finished with a 39-28 rebounding advantage. The Jacks' defense forced them into 18 turnovers, however, while HSU gave the ball up only seven times itself.