Box Score SAN RAFAEL – An 11-day odyssey that extended from coast to coast came to an end Saturday with the highlight of the trip for the road-weary Humboldt State men's basketball team. Even the lights of Times Square couldn't compare to the excitement of the Lumberjacks' 90-86 win over Academy of Art at the PacWest/CCAA Challenge.
Rallying from a 12-point deficit, the Jacks evened their regular season record at 1-1 as they finally head home following a trek that included exhibition games against NCAA Division I opponents Cal and St. John's. The thrilling nature of the Jacks' performance forecast an entertaining season that resumes when HSU faces Pacific Union College on Dec. 19 in Lumberjack Arena.
"We've been on the road 11 days, and to end it in this fashion really gives us a lift heading back home," HSU head coach
Steve Kinder said. "
Homegrown Lumberjacks
Brandon Pomrehn and
Will Taylor – both graduates of Arcata High School – keyed the Jacks' comeback. Pomrehn pounded the paint, scoring a team-high 24 points on a 10-of-13 shooting performance, and Taylor added 19, including a pivotal 3-pointer that tied the game at 78-78.
"How about those Arcata High School kids?" Kinder asked. "They both play with heart and desire. Willl was tough and gritty, and showed a lot of composure. Brandon is showing that he can play at this level. He can step out and hit a 15-footer, then display soft touch inside with a little hook."
After watching the Urban Knights light up their defense with a 64-percent shooting effort, Taylor, Pomrehn and
David Howard each contributed blocked shots that produced critical stops in the second half when the Jacks needed them most. After converting a pair of free throws to pull the Jacks within single digits at 73-65, Pomrehn rejected Aaron Anderson's layup attempt on the other end of the floor.
The 6-8 junior dropped in a short jumper to draw HSU within six, and Taylor cut Academy of Art off on the other end with a block of Aaron Carmen's layup. The Urban Knights rebounded the miss, but Pomrehn came up with a steal and finished the possession with another jumper to complete his personal 8-0 surge, drawing HSU within four at 73-69.
A layup and free throw expanded AU's lead to seven again, but Taylor,
Allan Guei and Howard each exploded to the rim for layups of their own. Alexis Moore stopped the run with a jumper, but Taylor's clutch 3-pointer with 3 minutes, 32 seconds remaining tied the game and the Jacks didn't trail from that point on.
"We made an adjustment at halftime to go inside to Pomrehn and Howard, even though both were in foul trouble," Kinder said. "We persevered with that plan and it paid off."
Howard, who scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Friday's loss to host Dominican University, was selected to the all-tournament team after his 16-point effort Saturday.
Allowing HSU to hold on down the stretch were big plays that included a steal by Guei, another jumper from Pomrehn, and successful free throw shooting. Taylor hit all four of his chances in the final 37 seconds, and Guei contributed three, including two that iced the game with one second left on the clock.
Guei scored 14 points and distributed eight assists while committing only one turnover in nearly 40 minutes of court time.
Jordan Mackie added 10 points for HSU, hitting all three of his 3-point attempts.
Adacemy of Art, which fell to 1-1 after opening the tournament with a win over Cal State East Bay on Friday, was led in scoring by Aikman's 26 points. Alexis Moore scored 21 and Alex Carmon scored 19 points while grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds.
