ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Humboldt State men's basketball led for all but 45 seconds of Saturday evening's 84-66 victory over Great Northwest Athletic Conference foe Alaska Fairbanks.
 
Austin Bryan put together his second-straight 20-plus point performance as he helped the Lumberjacks (5-4) cruise to their fifth win of the season. Bryan led all scorers with 22 points.
 
"We did a fantastic job playing back-to-back games against a pair of tough GNAC opponents," said Head Coach Steve Kinder. "Our defense pressured and played full-court both games, and we did a good job forcing the fast-paced tempo that we prefer."
 
A David Howard layup 27 seconds into the game gave the Green and Gold their first lead, but it was Bryan's 3-pointer less than a minute later that put HSU on top for good.
 
The Jacks led by at least 21 points in both halves of the win and held a game-high 22-point advantage with 12:48 remaining in the second period.
 
HSU compiled seven of its season-high 11 blocks in the first half and Bryan's 18 first-half points gave the Green and Gold a 47-34 lead at the midway point. The Wenatchee, Wash., product was 5-for-7 from the field in the opening 20 minutes and he connected on 3-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc. Bryan finished with a 22-point outing on 7-of-9 shooting, pulled down eight boards and dished out six assists -- all season-high totals.
 
"We canceled practice today and let the guys rest," said Kinder. "I feel it really helped Austin. Teams are keying on him and attacking with physical play. He had a warrior-like effort last night and he benefited from the extra rest."
 
Bryan was not the only HSU player who had his best performance of the season Saturday. Howard notched his first double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and tallied five blocks. The Chicago native sank a pair of 3-point buckets and converted 6-of-12 shots.
 
"David has just been able to refocus overall," said Kinder. "His physical conditioning is coming around and he is embracing his new role on the team this season."
 
Thomas Witzel and Harold Perry rounded out the Green and Gold's double-digit scorers with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
 
The Nanooks (2-7) shot 31 percent in the loss, and Ruben Silvas and Adam Griffin paced their offensive effort with 15 points apiece.
 
HSU looks to complete its season sweep of regular season non-conference opponents on Saturday, Dec. 20, against Union Pacific at Lumberjack Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT.
 
"We are looking forward to coming home and playing basketball in the friendly confines of Lumberjack Arena," said Kinder. "Our goal on this road trip was to improve as a team and play better basketball. I believe we did just that."