SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- Cal Poly Humboldt men's basketball closed out play at the West Region Tipoff Challenge on Saturday night, falling 89–61 to host Dominican University of California at the Conlan Center.
Despite holding a one-point halftime lead, 36–35, the Lumberjacks couldn't maintain momentum in the second half as the Penguins outscored Humboldt 54–25 over the final 20 minutes. With the loss, the Jacks move to 0–2 on the season, while Dominican improves to 2–0.
Senior forward Shakir Odunewu capped off a strong opening weekend by earning a spot on the West Region Tipoff Challenge All-Tournament Team, averaging 14.5 points per game on 70.6% shooting (12-for-17) and six rebounds per contest across the two games. Against Dominican, Odunewu finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in just 13 minutes of action.
Humboldt was led offensively by Rob Jenkins, who posted 13 points and six rebounds, while Zaveion Bineyard added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Tyriq McNeal contributed seven points and five boards off the bench, and Drew Ardouin chipped in six points with two assists and two steals.
As a team, the Jacks shot 41.4% (24-for-58) from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, finishing 0-for-17 from three-point range. Humboldt held a 15–12 edge in second-chance points and outscored the Penguins 44–54 in the paint, but Dominican's efficiency at the line (81%) and 20 points off turnovers proved decisive.
Dominican was paced by Darius Best, who poured in a game-high 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting, while Michael Wilson and Jeffery Sargent each added 15.
Cal Poly Humboldt will continue their road trip next week, as they head to Rocklin to the Bill Holtz Warrior Classic, that is hosted by Jessup University. On Friday the 'Jacks match up with Northwest Nazarene University at 5:00 PM, followed by action on Saturday versus the host institution, Jessup University, at 7:30 PM from Warrior Arena.
For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt men's basketball, visit humboldtathletics.com, download our mobile app on Apple iOS or Google Android, and follow the Lumberjacks on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook.
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