TURLOCK, Calif. – Stanislaus State saw its 11-game losing streak come to an end as it upended Humboldt State men's basketball 108-100 in a triple-overtime thriller Friday.
HSU slipped to 17-7 overall and 11-7 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play. The Green and Gold also missed their first opportunity at clinching a home playoff game on Tuesday, March 1. Its next two opportunities will come against Chico State and Cal State San Marcos, both of which have early season wins against HSU.
"The team battled and played hard," said Head Coach
Steve Kinder. "Our coaching staff is extremely proud of our ability to keep our composure during this marathon road game. I believe our freshmen and sophomores will really benefit from this experience and have learned the value of staying poised throughout a triple overtime game."
The first half featured 11 lead changes and the Green and Gold struggled to dictate their fast-paced style of play. HSU committed 11 turnovers and Stanislaus State converted them into 18 points. The Warriors ended the half on a 5-0 run and carried a 33-28 advantage into the locker room.
Rakim Brown led the Jacks with nine points, four rebounds and three assists in the first half. The Fresno, Calif., native was the Green and Gold's top scorer, but he was also responsible for a team-high five turnovers.
Stanislaus State made the first field goal after intermission, but had trouble finding the bottom of the basket for much of the half. The Warriors shot 33.3 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from outside the arc in the final 20 minutes of regulation.
An outstanding second-half effort from
Nikhil Lizotte helped the Green and Gold stay in the game. The Yakima, Wash., product mustered just two points in the first 20 minutes, but scored a team-best 11 after the break.
A Vondel Faniel layup with 46 seconds remaining knotted the game at 66-66 and forced overtime.
The teams traded blows in the first two overtime periods with each trying to adjust to not having its top scorers on the court. Brown fouled out in the second half with 14 points, while Faniel (21 points) and Kyle Gouveia (13 points) left the game in overtime.
In the end, it was Christian Bayne and Stephen Evans that combined for 16 of the Warriors' 18 points in the third overtime period that snapped HSU's three-game winning streak.
Malik Morgan finished with a team-high 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting.
Thomas Witzel (18), Lizotte (18) and
Justin Everett joined Morgan in double figures.
The Jacks won't have an opportunity to dwell on Friday's result as they travel for a Saturday evening showdown with rival Chico State. The Wildcats suffered a 67-61 loss to Cal Poly Pomona Friday despite leading by 18 points. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
"I praised the players immediately after the game for their toughness and the way they battled," said Kinder. "I let them know they never gave up and that I love them and am very proud of them."
