ARCATA — Shots didn't seem to fall for either Humboldt State nor Cal State San Bernardino, but the Coyotes took advantage of offensive rebound putbacks—including a crucial one with 2.6 seconds left in the game—to beat the Lumberjacks in a close 42-41 result Thursday night.

"We had a hard time buying the basket, whether it was inside or outside," said head coach Joddie Gleason. "It all came down to the first half, though. We didn't come out and play with a sense of urgency at either end. We challenged the team at halftime and I thought they responded well in the second half, but it was just a heartbreaking loss."

With the loss, Humboldt State drops to 7-4 overall, 3-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Meanwhile, Cal State San Bernardino improves to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the conference.

For the ninth time this season, Lisa Petty led the Jacks with a game-high 11 points, the only player on the court to walk away with double digit points. Elle Anderson and Caitie Richards each added eight additional points, with Anderson grabbing eight rebounds to co-lead the Jacks' effort off the boards with Petty. 

Ali Orlich had an impressive seven-point showing in just 16 minutes, shooting 2-for-3 from inside the arc, and 100-percent shooting from both distance and at the free throw line.

"Ali is a winner," said Gleason. "She does all the little things that winners do: fight, rebound and execute."

Two Coyotes, Alexcia Mack and Nicole Chapple, finished the night with eight points, with Chapple picking up a game-high 12 rebounds.

Coming off a strong shooting performance against Simpson University on Dec. 29, where three Lumberjacks grabbed career-high points, Humboldt State couldn't carry that offensive effort over to start the new year on a positive note. The Jacks started the game with a 1-for-11 shooting effort, falling into an 8-3 hole four minutes into the contest.

Down 12-8, Richards hit a shot deep from beyond the arc to put the game within one point and Anderson finished an easy layup to give the Jacks a 13-12 lead. CSUSB took the lead right back, but Orlich finished two free throw shots to once again put HSU out in front.

The lead didn't last long, however, as Cal State San Bernardino found its largest lead of the game at 29-19 with five minutes left before halftime.

Gleason called a timeout looking to regroup her team and Jain Tuey finished a layup to put the lead back under double digits. However, neither team could find another basket and headed into halftime with a 29-21 score in favor of the visiting Coyotes.

Looking to shake off the lack of baskets in the first half, Humboldt State still struggled to find the net as the Jacks missed their first four shots in the second half., including point-blank shots for easy points.

"Cal State San Bernardino is very physical," said Gleason. "They did a good job of getting us out of our rhythm. They held us down and made us take tough shots. Stilll, we had some good looks. We had a lot of chances where we missed opportunities."

Trailing 33-23, Humboldt State went on a nine-point run to put the score within one point, but the Coyotes held on to their lead. Jaslyn Cosey and Chapple scored three free shots from the charity line to put CSUSB back in front at 38-34 as the game wound down to the last five minutes.

Coming down the stretch, Richards finished two free throw shots and Anderson picked up an offensive board for a putback point to tie the game at 38-38 and 2:56 left on the clock.

Feeling the momentum building in their favor, the Jacks knew they were very much in the game and came up with big stops on defense.  

Eliza Dy snuck through with a layup to put the Coyotes up 40-38, but Orlich answered right back with a crucial layup of her own to tie the game with 1:29 left in regulation.

Cosly committed a costly foul away from the ball against Petty, giving Petty the opportunity to put the Jacks on top. Petty finished her first shot, but the missed the second to give HSU a one-point advantage over CSUSB.

With less than 30 seconds left in the game, Humboldt State had the ball on their defensive endline, looking to inbound and hold onto the 41-40 lead. Before the ball was even in play, the officials called an offensive foul on the Lumberjacks to give the Coyotes another chance on attack.

Cal State San Bernardino took advantage of the possession and Kristen Huffman found the basket to give the Coyotes a 42-41 lead over the Jacks with just 2.6 seconds left.

"We got them to take some tough shots at the end of the game," said Gleason. "We had a lot of good stops in the second half, but couldn't get that last one. Our kids played hard in the second half."

Putting everything on the line with one last hope for a basket, the Jacks couldn't find the bucket, ending the game with the 42-41 loss.

"There was a lot of craziness in the last minute, but that didn't lose us the game," said Gleason. "This game was lost in the first half. We didn't come out with urgency or passion on offense or defense."

Humboldt State will look to shake off the loss quickly in order to take on a tough UC San Diego squad Saturday night. The Jacks host the Tritons and hope to regain their footing in the CCAA standings, tipping off at 5:30 p.m. in Lumberjack Arena.