ARCATA, Calif.-- The Cal Poly Humboldt men's basketball team hosted Cal State San Marcos on Saturday night from Lumberjack Arena. The Jacks were caught in a back-and-forth battle with the Cougars and ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, falling in the final minutes 68-63. Marlon Ruffin led the team with 18 points and had four steals on the defensive side of the ball. Cam Timmons chipped in 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Ian Krishnan shot 50 percent from three-point range and added 10 points of his own. Humboldt (9-7, 7-3 CCAA) remains in second place in the conference standings, with Cal State San Marcos (8-7, 7-3 CCAA) on their heels in third place, sitting a half game back. 

GAME SUMMARY 
Cal State San Marcos struck the scoreboard first, but Marlon Ruffin got the Jacks started offensively, going on a 5-0 run by himself. Near the halfway point of the first half, a Malek Davis score in the paint gave Humboldt a seven point lead, their largest of the game. The Cougars went on the prowl and responded with a 12-2 run that switched the momentum in their favor. Ian Krishnan had five points in the final two minutes before the half that cut the San Marcos lead from eight points to three points. Although it was the lowest first half of scoring by Humboldt this season, they found themselves only down one possession, 29-26.

The second half started with a Cam Timmons layup and milestone reached by Malek Davis. After Davis made a layup and got fouled on the play, he was sent to the free-throw line. When Davis sunk his free-throw and completed the three-point play, he reached the milestone of 1,000 total career points. The first six minutes of the second half saw six lead changes but neither team was able to grab momentum and pull away. With just under 10 minutes to go, the Jacks entered the double-bonus and were in a good position to take advantage of the San Marcos foul trouble. Unfortunately for Humboldt, they struggled from the free-throw line as a team and went 15-26 (57.7 percent). Krishnan, Ruffin, and Davis all chipped in to keep it a one possession game down the stretch. The final three minutes saw San Marcos hit a couple of big shots and timely free throws to go on a 9-2 run. With 48 seconds to go, the 10-point Cougar lead was out of Humboldt's reach. A final push of offense cut the Cougar lead in half, but in the end the Jacks dropped the conference battle to San Marcos with a final score of 68-63.

POST GAME QUOTE
"San Marcos was the tougher team tonight and they made key plays down the stretch," stated head coach Tae Norwood. "We had our opportunities to take a lead, or build on a lead, or tie it up, but we missed a lot of free throws and crucial layups down the stretch that allowed San Marcos to get a cushion. We will get back in the lab, get back to work, and try to correct our mistakes." 

NOTABLE STATS
- Marlon Ruffin led the Jacks with 18 points on 7-11 shooting and had four steals defensively. 
- Malek Davis scored 14 points and surpassed 1,000 total career points.
- Cam Timmons notched 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
- Ian Krishnan shot 50 percent from three-point range, adding 10 points and grabbing six rebounds. 
- Humboldt had 22 points off turnovers in comparison to Cal State San Marcos' 11 points.
- The Cougars shot 50 percent from three-point range (9-18 3PT), while the Jacks struggled from deep, shooting only 23.5 percent (4-17 3PT).

UP NEXT
Thursday, January 19, the Jacks will aim to bounce back as they head to Cal Poly Pomona for a CCAA matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM from Kellogg Arena in Pomona, Calif. 

For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt men's basketball, please visit humboldtathletics.com and follow us on all social media platforms.