FULLERTON, Calif. – After Humboldt State jumped out to a double-digit first quarter lead, the game ultimately came down to the wire. Hope International (2-0) made key defensive stops in the final minutes, to close out the Lumberjacks (1-2) on Thursday night, 62-57.
"We started the game, got stops at the defensive end, and forced them to take difficult shots," said Head Coach
Joddie Gleason. "We had plenty of opportunities to score down the stretch, and we didn't make the plays that we needed to make."
HSU's defense set the tone early, allowing just three first quarter field goals. Hope International finished the opening period with just seven points, the best defensive quarter in Lumberjack history.
The Jacks benefitted from 13 offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive in the first half, resulting in a 10-2 edge in second chance points over the first 20 minutes of action. Despite the advantage on the boards, the slow shooting of the Royals came to a close and the home side cut the Green and Gold advantage to just three, 29-26, heading into intermission.
After briefly losing the lead in the third, an
Amanda Kunst three-point play evened the score back up at 40 apiece with 3:01 to play in the quarter. Kunst finished with team highs of 15 points, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. The McKinleyville, Calif., native also added eight rebounds to her stat line.
A one-point game heading into the fourth, it was still either team's to claim. The back-and-forth matchup featured five of its seven ties in the fourth quarter, and it was Kunst again who gave the lead back to the Green and Gold after knocking down a pair of free throws with 3:25 remaining. The Royals responded, and closed out the game on an 8-2 run to earn the win.
Kiana Brown added 13 points, while
A'Jaee Foster nearly recorded a double-double with her 8 points and 10 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass.
The Jacks will remain in Southern California through Saturday night when they will face last season's national runner-up California Baptist. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
