Box Score ARCATA — After digging themselves into a deep hole, Humboldt State's Lumberjacks abruptly exploded for six minutes of frantic basketball to earn a 77-69 win over Cal State East Bay in a California Collegiate Athletic Association game Saturday.

Trailing by 11 points with 6 minutes, 10 seconds remaining, the Lumberjacks furiously stormed back into contention, with Austin Bryan, Deaundray Robinson and Rakim Brown leading the flurry. Brown pulled HSU within one point with his third 3-pointer of the evening, then stole a Pioneer pass and pushed the ball ahead to Robinson, whose layup gave the Jacks a 63-62 lead with 2:16 left.

"We were playing very flat. We were lackadaisical," HSU head coach Steve Kinder said. "Then we made a few blocks, got a few steals, and we were back to playing Lumberjack basketball. The crowd helped create that frenzied atmosphere."

Humboldt State's frenzy ignited a 21-2 run that Robinson finished with a pair of free throws to give the Lumberjacks a 70-62 lead with 1 minute remaining. Bryan and Cody Kale finished off the Pioneers with pair of free throws each.

The victory improved Humboldt State's record to 11-11 overall and 7-11 in the CCAA, keeping the Lumberjacks' hopes for a berth in the conference's postseason tournament alive. HSU now stands tied with Sonoma State – a 66-56 loser to Cal State L.A. on Saturday – for the eighth and final qualifying position. The Jacks will go head-to-head with the Seawolves on Friday night in Rohnert Park.

Bryan finished with 17 points to lead all scorers, including an 11-11 performance from the free throw line. Robinson added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Brown contributed 14 and Tom Witzel 12 points to the effort.

Jurrell Turner and Vincent Capellino each scored 12 points to top CSUEB'S scoring, and Jacari Whitfield finished with 10. Nick Marshall was the Pioneers' top rebounder with nine.

Cal State East Bay's pressure defense kept the Lumberjacks from breaking loose early, forcing them into 19 total turnovers, 11 of them in the first half. Trading leads throughout the period, the two squads battled on even terms, but a 3-pointer from Brown helped Humboldt State to a 31-28 halftime lead.

Neither team could put much distance between itself and the opponent for most of the second half. Humboldt State edged ahead, 49-45 with 11:27 remaining, but the Pioneers began a 15-0 surge with Capellino's jumper on the way to  a 60-49 lead.

"During a timeout, I talked to the players and told them how badly we needed them to step up," Kinder said. "Defensively, we needed some stops, which would generate offense for us."

Robinson took his coach's word to heart, exploding for a steal and feeding Cale for a fast-break layup. Bryan's steal ended the next Pioneer possession, and the junior found Robinson this time for another layup. In the final five minutes Humboldt State's cranked-up defense accounted for five of its game total of nine steals.

Following Friday's match-up with Sonoma State, the Lumberjacks remain on the road for Saturday's game against San Francisco State. They'll return home the following week, finishing the regular season with a Wednesday, Feb. 27 game against Cal State Dominguez Hills and a Friday, March 1 game against Cal State L.A.