TURLOCK, Calif. – The Humboldt State men's basketball team erased a 16-point deficit but was unable to secure a road victory as it fell to Stanislaus State 88-84 Thursday in Fitzpatrick Arena.
The Lumberjacks got off to a slow start and things looked grim as they trailed 21-5 less than six minutes into the game. HSU chipped away at the lead using a 9-0 push that ended with a Calvin Young II dunk with 4:09 left in the half to make it 34-28 in favor of the home team. Stanislaus State clung to a 41-35 lead as the half came to an end. Justin Everett led Green and Gold scorers with nine points, and HSU shot 34.3 percent from the field in the first half.
"Stanislaus State shot the ball well tonight, and we couldn't contain their energy at the beginning of the game," said HSU Head Coach Steve Kinder. "We made lineup adjustments at halftime and it resulted in progress."
Young came up with another big dunk to trim the Warriors' lead to 41-40 three minutes into the second half as the Jacks scored the first five points out of the locker room. A Trevon Bentley layup tied the game for the first time with 16:47 on the clock, and HSU soon took its first lead. The Jacks extended the lead to a game-high five points with an Everett free throw with 14:38 left to play, but the lead didn't last for long. Back-to-back treys two minutes later put the Warriors back in charge for good as scoring leader Andy Cleaves led them to a homecoming win. Cleaves led all scorers with 29 points.
"Defense was the main objective tonight, therefore our goal was not achieved," said Kinder. "We showed heart and played extremely hard. We got the lead in the second half but lacked concentration on a few rotations and gave up a few 3-point shots."
The margin of victory was only four points, and the Green and Gold will likely regret their performance at the charity stripe as they connected on 21-of-32 opportunities. HSU finished the game shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from long range.
Jamarlin Jackson shined in his return to the starting lineup as he scored a team-best 19 points. Everett chipped in 18 points and eight rebounds.
HSU hosts Cal Poly Pomona Thursday, Feb. 14 in Lumberjack Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear pink as the teams will support the battle against cancer. Thursday's doubleheader will also feature the annual HSU Faculty and Staff Appreciation event that includes a catered social on the third floor of the Kinesiology and Athletics Building for campus faculty and staff. The social will begin at 6 p.m.
