SAN MARCOS, Calif. -- The Lumberjacks took on the Cal State San Marcos Cougars from The Sports Center in San Marcos on Thursday evening for their first game on the road this season. With both teams looking to pick up their first CCAA win, the Cougars outlasted Cal Poly Humboldt and defended their home court with a final score of 62-57. Brandon Bento-Jackson led the Lumberjacks, as he scored 12 points on 80 percent shooting from beyond the arc. 

After falling behind 6-0 early, Humboldt tied it up at 10 when Bento-Jackson sank his second three-pointer of the evening. The Jacks didn't fall behind for the rest of the first half. A pair of Sage Wayans free-throws with just under two minutes to go in the first half gave the North Coast squad their largest of the game, as they went up 11 points. A Cougar layup with under a minute to go cut the lead down to single digits, but at the half Cal Poly Humboldt led 32-23 over San Marcos. 

Humboldt opened the second half on a 5-0 run to extend their lead to 14, going up 37-23. Over two minutes went by without a score for either team, but San Marcos went on a 10-2 run to chop the Lumberjack lead to just six points with 13 minutes to play. A Jordahn Johnson layup and pair of free-throws from Rob Diaz III held the line at a six point Humboldt advantage. Johnson stayed hot around the rim, as he slammed home a dunk and converted on a layup to maintain a four-point lead with just over seven minutes to play. 

The Cougars didn't go away easy, as they heated up at the right time and went on a 13-0 run to go up by nine points with just two and a half minutes left in regulation. A pair of three-pointers from the freshman guard Brandon Bento-Jackson gave the Jacks a glimpse of hope for a comeback, as the Cougar lead was cut to three points, 58-55. A tough San Marcos layup made it a five-point game but Emanuel Steward hit a shot to make it a three-point game once again. However, it was too little too latefor the Lumberjacks as San Marcos made a clutch basket with 10 seconds left to seal the deal at home over Humboldt with a final score of 62-57. 

Lumberjack Low-Down

• Cal Poly had more second chance points than San Marcos (12-4) but the Cougars outdid the Jacks in points off turnovers (17-4)
• Brandon Bento-Jackson led the team with 12 points on 80 percent shooting from three-point range
• 10 Lumberjacks recorded at least one basket on Thursday
• San Marcos edged Humboldt in field goal percentage 42.9% to 39.6% for the game, but the Cougars shot 51.9% in the second half compared to Humboldt's 34.6%

Up Next
The Jacks (2-5, 0-3 CCAA) aim to bounce back on Saturday at Sonoma State (4-4, 1-2 CCAA) in Rohnert Park. Tip-off is set for 3:00 PM from the Wolves Den. 

Be sure to subscribe to the CCAA Network, where you can watch all home and away games for just $9.95 a month. 

For the latest information on Cal Poly Humboldt Men's Basketball, please visit humboldtathletics.com and follow us on all social media platforms. 

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