ARCATA, Calif. -- The lopsided final score was not a reflection of the on-court battle that lasted more than half of the game as Humboldt State men's basketball defeated non-conference opponent Bristol University, 93-66, Wednesday at Lumberjack Arena.
"Bristol was a good team and we knew that," said Head Coach
Steve Kinder. "They played fast, which accommodated our style of play."
The Lumberjacks (2-0) stormed out to a 14-point, 22-8, advantage following a Drew Cones layup 5:30 into the first half before the Bears (0-2) turned the tide.
Bristol went on a 12-4 run over the next five minutes and pulled within six, 26-20. Michael Johnson, the Bears' top scorer in the first half with 11 points, led the charge and contributed six points in the span.
HSU struggled to hit baskets late in the period. The Green and Gold defense yielded eight-straight points as Bristol trimmed its lead to two, 35-33, with under four minutes left in the half.
Rakim Brown sank a layup as the half expired and the Jacks led 40-37 at the break.
The Jacks shot 48 percent from the field in the first period and were 5-for-13 from long distance.
Ethan Dillard paced the Green and Gold offense early with eight points.
The second half was all about two things – HSU rebounding and senior
Austin Bryan's offensive explosion.
Bryan contributed 14 second-half points, but none was more important than a 3-pointer with 14:30 on the clock. The Wenatchee, Wash., native sank a long distance trey that extended the HSU lead to seven and stole any remaining first-half momentum from Bristol.
The Jacks never trailed in the game's final 19:04 and put together a strong finish. HSU led by as many as 27 points in the second half.
HSU ruled the boards in the final period and outrebounded Bristol 27-10.
Calvin Young pulled down a team-high five second-half boards.
"I really liked the way we rebounded this evening," said Kinder. "We were bigger, stronger and faster, and dominated the boards."
Bryan was the Jacks' leading scorer in the victory and finished with 20 points. He was 6-of-9 from the field and connected on five 3-pointers.
David Howard (12) and
Ethan Dillard (11) each chipped in 10 or more points for HSU.
"Austin is very confident and smooth," said Kinder. "His health is back and we can definitely go to him for some points."
Cones dished out a team-best seven assists and helped pick up the pace when the offense was unable to find its rhythm.
Malik Morgan added five assists versus Bristol.
"Drew coming off the bench is one of our depth strengths," said Kinder. "He has a good feel for the game and has great confidence in his game. He has embraced coming off the bench and sharing minutes with Malik."
Brandon Chavers was Bristol's top offensive playmaker. Chavers scored a team-high 24 points and connected on 9-of-18 field goals. He also finished with five rebounds and four assists.
HSU shot 52 percent from the floor in the win and connected on 40 percent of its shots from outside the arc.
The Jacks host California Collegiate Athletic Association rival Cal State San Bernardino Saturday, Nov. 22, at Lumberjack Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
