Box Score CHICO – Some wins are sweeter than others as was the case on Friday night. Humboldt State snapped a long losing streak with an exclamation point to pound rival Chico State from tip to buzzer.
 
The Lumberjacks' 16-game run of futility in Chico's Acker Gymnasium was ended in a big 66-50 convincing final over the home Wildcats.
 
The HSU victory was its first in Chico since taking a 92-75 win during the 1994-95 season and the first victory on the Wildcats' home floor since joining the California Collegiate Athletic Association seven years ago. The Jacks also seal a winning season with a 14-11 record with one game remaining.
 
HSU jumped all over Chico State in the first five minutes. The Jacks' Megan Shields made a layup and Dani Gaumer a triple for the game's first five minutes to begin the opening run. The visitors extended it to 15-2 on a Kelly Kime layup at 15:34 and increased the difference to 23-5 on two Kersey Wilcox's free throws two minutes later as part of HSU making its first nine shots from the floor.
 
"It was huge to start strong as we came out very focused and executed our game plan from the start," pointed out HSU head coach Joddie Gleason. "This is extremely important with how big of a game and win this is for us."
 
The Jacks (14-11/11-10 CCAA) win kept their CCAA playoff hopes alive in the run for one of the six-team field, down from past year's eight-team contingent.
 
HSU will have to win Saturday night at Cal State Stanislaus and get at least one of either Cal State Los Angeles or Cal State Dominguez Hills to lose to grab one of the six spots.
 
"It will be game four in our four-game tournament. It is how we have considered the last two weeks that we win and advance and we made it past the last three. We just have to bring the same intensity tomorrow night," noted Gleason.
 
In ending the long dry streak at Chico, HSU had to rely upon a true team effort. Amanda Kunst led five Jacks players to reach double figures in the scoring column. The sophomore forward made eight of nine free throws for a team-high 14 points and pulled down nine boards.
 
"The balanced scoring was key. We had so many people in foul trouble and so many key contributors off the bench," added the HSU coach.
 
Being one of the HSU players in foul trouble and logging only 17 minutes, Shields did make all five of her shots from the floor and both foul shots for 12 points to go with seven rebounds and two blocks.
 
Wilcox contributed 12 tallies on four of eight shooting with five assists.
 
Wing players Kelly Kime and Dani Gaumer chipped in 11 points apiece, respectively. Kime was the second perfect shooter on the night by connecting on all three attempts and each of her four free throws.
 
"We just believed. We came out and played. We knocked our shoots down offensively," said Kime. "When they cut the game down to 11 points, we thought not again but we refocused and finished offensively tonight."

After trailing 35-24 at intermission, Chico State (17-8/13-8 CCAA) erased one more point in the margin, 42-32, in the first five minutes of the second stanza.
 
HSU had the answer. Gaumer drained a 3-pointer to begin a 10-0 run over the second five minutes of the second half for the biggest lead of 20 points, 52-32, of the night.
 
The Wildcats would pull back to within 11 points, 59-48, with 2:05 remaining but were unable to get any closer.
 
The HSU defense stifled Chico State to five-of-25 in the first half and 13-for-57 for 22.8-percent for the contest. The Jacks made 12-of-22 opening shots and outrebounded the home team, 42-38.
 
McKenzie Dalthorp was the lone Wildcat in double-digits with 14 points.
 
HSU's regular season finale and final drive for the CCAA playoffs will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. in Turlock tomorrow night against Cal State Stanislaus.