Box Score BELLINGHAM, Wash – High hopes for a successful postseason went unfulfilled Friday when the Humboldt State men's basketball team fell to Chico State, 75-68,  in a first round game of the NCAA Division II West Region Championships.

The game between the tournament's No. 4 seeded Lumberjacks and No. 5 Wildcats – both of the California Collegiate Athletic Association – was a customary tight battle between the longtime rivals. But when the game entered the final minute Chico State came up clutch, first with a three-pointer by Amir Carraway that gave his team a six-point lead with 52 seconds remaining, then with poised free throw shooting when the Jacks were forced to foul in their comeback attempt.

Carraway, Jay Flores, Jordan Semple and Damario Sims combined to hit all 10 of the Wildcats' free throw shots in the final 35 seconds, checking HSU's comeback efforts. Seniors Randy Hunter and Brandon Sperling tried to fuel a Jacks' charge with four straight field goals on four trips down court during the same time frame, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Wildcats from moving on to Saturday's semifinal game against host Western Washington.

"Hats off to Chico State," HSU head coach Steve Kinder said. "They're a class act and a very good basketball team. Coach (Greg) Clink had his team playing smart, and they hit big shots at the end. They defeated the Lumberjacks, and that's not an easy accomplishment."

In his final game as a Lumberjack, Hunter led the way with 16 points and 12 rebounds to achieve his fifth double-double of the season.. Sperling scored 15 points, while Kyle Baxter, Austin Bryan and Matt Lipski each added nine.

"It was a season of ups and downs, just like tonight's game," Hunter said. "We put together some winning streaks and really clicked during the conference tournament. It's disappointing to have it end like this."

HSU has been a fixture in the NCAA postseason for more than a decade, earning its way into the West Region Championships for the 11th time in the past 12 seasons. The Jacks made a quick exit again this year, however, losing for the fifth straight time in the tournament's first round.

Coming off a win over Chico State in last week's CCAA tournament championship game, the Jacks appeared poised to repeat that performance Friday when they surged ahead midway through opening period. Hunter contributed 10 points that included HSU's only two successful three-pointers of the evening to help the Lumberjacks grab a 21-13 lead with eight minutes remaining until halftime.

Chico State rallied , however, finishing the half with an 11-2 run to takes its first lead since early in the game when Flores scored a breakaway layup that gave the Wildcats a 28-27 advantage at the break.

In the second half, the Lumberjacks regained the momentum, and moved ahead by six points when Lipski drilled a short jump shot in the paint. Again, the Wildcats responded, pulling within one after a Flores' layup and three-pointer by Carraway.

After that mini-surge that ended with 13 minutes, 43 seconds remaining to be played, neither team led by more than four points until the final minute of play. Even then, the Jacks made it a one possession game following Sperling's layup with 11 seconds remaining, but the 'Cats final four free throws provided their largest lead of the game as the final buzzer sounded.

Flores scored 18 points for the Wildcats, who improved to 25-7 for the year while the Lumberjacks ended their campaign with a 22-8 record. Also in double figures for Chico State were Semple and Carraway, with 14 points each, and Jordan Barton with 11.

From the field the teams were nearly even, HSU hitting 49 percent of its shots and Chico State making 50 percent. The Lumberjacks held a one-sided 36-22 edge in rebounding, but also turned the ball over 15 times as compared to only seven giveaways by the Wildcats.