ARCATA, Calif. -- The Humboldt State men's basketball team avenged an early season loss as it defeated Sonoma State 81-73 Thursday night at Lumberjack Arena.
 
"Tonight's environment was excellent. It was a packed house and it generated a lot of energy for us. Our fan base came out on a Thursday night and made a big impact," said Head Coach Steve Kinder. "Coach Fuscaldo and I go way back and tonight was a chess match. There were a lot of substitutions and match ups that went into tonight's game plan. Hats off to Sonoma State for playing a great game here in Lumberjack Arena."
 
Thursday's win gives HSU a 7-6 record in California Collegiate Athletic Association and a 13-6 overall record. With the loss, Sonoma State moves to 9-8 overall and 6-7 in conference.
 
The Lumberjacks trailed the Seawolves for much of the first half and went into the break behind by two points, 33-31. Austin Bryan sank a 3-pointer with three minutes left in the half to give HSU a brief 29-28 lead. The Wenatchee, Wash., native scored seven points in the opening period and was 3-for-6 from the field.
 
The lead changed only one time in the second half and it was in HSU's favor. Malik Morgan fed a pass to David Howard for a layup that gave the Green and Gold a 41-39 lead with 14:30 remaining.
 
HSU increased its advantage to 11 points, 71-60, as Allan Guei converted a pair of free throws with under two minutes on the clock. Guei finished with 22 points, one point shy of the season-high 23 he scored versus Cal Poly Pomona last Friday. The Compton, Calif., native was 5-for-11 shooting and connected on 11-of-13 free throw opportunities. He also dished out a pair of assists and grabbed two steals.
 
The final minute of action featured several attempts by the Seawolves to rally from their deficit, they pulled to within four, 77-73, after a JJ Mina trey with under 30 seconds left to play. Mina was Sonoma State's top scorer and finished with a team-best 24 points.
 
The Green and Gold outscored the Seawolves 50-40 in the second half and shot a blistering 61 percent from the floor. Howard and Guei combined to score half of HSU's second-period total with 12 and 13 points, respectively.
 
Howard put together another solid outing for the Jacks and was one of five HSU players to have a double-digit scoring total. Guei (22), Thomas Witzel  (15), Howard (14), Bryan (14) and Morgan (10) all reached double figures.
 
Morgan led HSU with five assists and Bryan compiled a team-high three steals.
 
HSU hosts San Francisco State Saturday evening at Lumberjack Arena. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
 
"San Francisco State beat us earlier this season and we have the payback factor again," said Kinder. "They have to travel the state of California to play us, and we will be here practicing, preparing and waiting for them."