Box Score ARCATA – The home wave of momentum started the night, but the air went out of the Humboldt State sails in the California Collegiate Athletic Association women's basketball opener.
 
The Lumberjacks used a quick eight points over the opening 1:18 for the night's opening points against the CCAA's defending tournament champion UC San Diego Tritons.
 
The visiting Tritons gain their footing and took a lead just over eight minutes into the contest and never would give it up the rest of the way for a 71-63 victory.
 
"We had stretches where we played well, but we had too many empty possessions where we would commit a turnover and couldn't convert," noted HSU head coach Joddie Gleason.  "Every time we cut the lead we would give up an offensive rebound and couldn't find the possession we needed."
 
After trailing by four points at half, HSU (3-2/0-1 CCAA) put the first point on the second half scoreboard on a Kelly Kime jumper to make it 32-30. 
 
UC San Diego pumped in a triple and a jumper on back-to-back offensive trips to open the difference to the largest, 37-30, of the first 22 minutes of play. 
 
The Jacks answered with a Kersey Wilcox three-pointer seconds later to put the game back to four points, 37-33, but the home club would be unable to get any closer than five points over the final 17 minutes of action.
 
The UC San Diego (5-1/2-0 CCAA) defense held the HSU offense to have of its usual three-point production with four over 19 attempts including only one of eight in the second half.
 
HSU's Wilcox led all scorers with a season-high 24 points on nine of 21 shooting to go with five rebounds and four assists.
 
"Kersey does a good job running the show and the girls did a better job handling the UCSD press in the second half as they were being aggressive and attacking," said Gleason.
 
Kime dropped in a 16-point effort on four of six and two of her team's triples, while pulling down nine caroms.
 
Megan Shields recorded her second double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds with a pair of blocks.
 
Elle Anderson was the only other Jacks player with more than one bucket with six points.
 
Erin Dautremont, Megan Perry and Stephanie Yano each hit for 12 points to pace the Tritons.  Dautremont also clutched 13 rebounds, 10 defensive.
 
"We have to look at there is a long season to go as it is a marathon and not a sprint.  We have to get over this game quickly and prepare for San Bernardino," concluded the Jacks coach.
 
HSU will have a day to prepare for its second home contest of the weekend.  Cal State San Bernardino comes to Lumberjack Arena for a Saturday, Dec.7 game starting at 5:30 p.m.
 
 
###