ARCATA, Calif. -- Head Coach Steve Kinder spoke this week about his team peaking at the right time and Saturday, in front of a standing room only crowd in Lumberjack Arena, all signs were pointing up.
 
The Humboldt State men's basketball team celebrated Senior Day with a 75-72 victory over California Collegiate Athletic Association leader Cal Poly Pomona.
 
"We are so proud of our team," said Kinder postgame. "We went out and made a gutsy effort for 40 minutes and survived all the punches and flurries that Cal Poly Pomona threw at us. It shows a lot of character in all of our players. We are just happy that the seniors got to walk out of Lumberjack Arena with smiles on their faces."
 
Saturday's win clinched the No. 3 seed for the Lumberjacks, who finished the regular season 21-7 overall and 15-7 in conference. HSU will face No. 6 Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday, March 5, in the CCAA Tournament held at the Stockton Arena.
 
The first half was all smiles for the Green and Gold. HSU sank nine treys and took a commanding 41-33 lead into the locker room. Ethan Dillard drilled a 3-pointer with 3:34 left in the half to push the Lumberjack lead to a game-high 13 points, 40-27.
 
HSU never trailed in the opening period. Austin Bryan and Malik Morgan led the Jacks with 12 points apiece. Bryan was 3-for-5 from the field and all of his baskets were from outside the arc.
 
The Broncos came out of the locker room and played with an intensity they did not show in the opening period. Pomona erased HSU's lead and tied the game for the first time, 43-43, with 15:31 to go.
 
A 6-0 run that began at the 13:54 mark helped the Jacks regain their advantage. Rakim Brown, the reigning CCAA Player of the Week, punctuated the stretch with a driving layup with 12:00 on the clock to put HSU on top by seven, 52-45.
 
With under 10 minutes to play, the Bronco defense swarmed the Jacks and caused several miscues and turnovers that led to easy transition buckets for the visitors.
 
Pomona captured the lead and grew it to a game-high six points, 67-61, with five minutes to go.
 
Both teams wrestled for momentum in the game's closing minutes, but it was a pivotal turnover by Daniel Rodriguez that helped HSU seal the win. Malik Morgan came up with the steal, raced across court and sank a layup to put the Jacks on top 73-72 with 1:26 on the clock.
 
A Terrence Drisdom turnover a little more than a minute later forced the Broncos to foul and sent Bryan to the line. The Wenatchee, Wash., native hit a pair of free throws to cap the Senior Night victory. Bryan led all scorers with 22 points and he connected on all 10 of his free throw opportunities.
 
"Austin Bryan is a winner, period," said Kinder. "Austin Bryan is a calm, cool and collected sniper. He can really shoot the basketball. He picks and chooses his opportunities to play winning basketball, which his teammates appreciate. I couldn't be more proud and happier for Austin and what he's accomplished at Humboldt State over his entire career."
 
Morgan followed Bryan with a 20-point outing. Calvin Young II added 13 points to go with a team-high seven boards and Rakim Brown had 10 points.