CHICO, Calif. -- In Saturday's matinee rival rematch between Cal Poly Humboldt and Chico State, the Lumberjacks left Acker Gymnasium victorious after a 13-point second half comeback, winning 71-67. Humboldt (11-11, 9-7 CCAA) got the revenge they needed over Chico (10-11, 8-8 CCAA) as the playoff race heats up in the CCAA, with only one game separating the third place 'Jacks from the seventh place Monterey Bay Otters. Malek Davis led all scorers with 19 points and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line, coming up clutch down the stretch to help secure the win. After today, Humboldt snapped it's six game losing streak to Chico State that dated back to 2019. 

An evenly paced first half saw the 'Jacks down by six points at halftime, 33-27. Humboldt led for eight minutes, while Chico led for 12 minutes and by as many as 10 points. A game that saw eight lead changes and six ties was poised for an entertaining second half, especially after what happened in their first meeting earlier this season that ended up being an 116-112 overtime thriller favoring Chico.

The Wildcats came out of the locker room on a 7-0 run and extended their lead to 13 points, their largest of the game. The momentum shifted at the 15:39 mark after Marlon Ruffin blocked Joshua Hamilton's shot attempt that led to an Amari Green alley-oop and Brandon Porter one-handed dunk, igniting a Lumberjack comeback. With 11 minutes to go, Cam Timmons grabbed an offensive rebound and found Josh Berenbaum for a three-pointer that gave the 'Jacks their first lead since the 12:00 minute mark in the first half.

With four minutes to go in the game and a tied score of 60, it was going to come down to what team could execute in their final possessions of the game. Malek Davis went on a tear, scoring nine of the last 11 Lumberjack points and going 6-for-6 at the free throw line in the final 1:12 of the game. Humboldt shot 66.7 percent (2-3 FG) and went 7-for-8 from the free throw line in the final four minutes compared to Chico's 14 percent shooting from the field (1-7 FG) and 25 percent from the free-throw line (1-4 FT). 

Not only did this win snap a six-game losing streak to Chico State that dated back to 2019, but it was also the first win on the road at Acker Gymnasium since January 9th of 2015. 

NOTABLE STATS
- Malek Davis led all scorers with 19 points and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
- Josh Berenbaum picked up his second double-double of the season, notching 10 points and 11 rebounds.
- Ian Krishnan had 11 points on 41.6 percent shooting.
- Brandon Porter grabbed four steals.
- The Humboldt bench outscored Chico's bench 33-28.
- The 'Jacks had more points off turnovers (15-11) and second chance points (13-4) than Chico. 

UP NEXT
Humboldt (11-11, 9-7 CCAA) returns to Lumberjack Arena next weekend for the first of two straight home stands. They take on Cal State East Bay (8-14, 6-10 CCAA) on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Then on Saturday, Feb. 11, the 'Jacks will host Cal State Dominguez Hills (8-14, 4-12 CCAA). Saturday's game is "Black Out Night" with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear black as the team will be wearing their new black uniforms at home for the first time this season. 

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

Check out our new beer garden and concessions on the first level of Lumberjack Arena while you enjoy the game!