ROCKLIN, Calif. – Cal Poly Humboldt men's basketball earned its first victory of the 2025–26 season in dramatic fashion, edging Northwest Nazarene 65–64 on Friday evening at Warrior Arena. The win marked the first career victory for head coach DJ Broome at the helm of the Lumberjacks program.
Humboldt's defensive effort set the tone as the 'Jacks held a Nighthawks squad averaging 91.0 points per game over its first two contests to just 64 points, their lowest output of the young season. The Lumberjacks also controlled the glass, outrebounding Northwest Nazarene 42–29, including 15 second-chance points that proved critical down the stretch.
Offensively, Zaveion Bineyard led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including three three-pointers. The junior forward came up clutch in the second half, helping Humboldt erase a seven-point halftime deficit and seal the one-point victory.
Rob Jenkins filled the stat sheet with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Shakir Odunewu dominated inside with 9 points and 9 boards. Drew Ardouin added 8 points and 3 assists, and Dennis Cash contributed 6 points off the bench in limited minutes.
Defensively, Humboldt's perimeter pressure was relentless—holding NNU to just 4-of-19 (21.1%) from beyond the arc and forcing 11 turnovers. The Nighthawks were led by Easton Reagan and Jaden Byers, who each tallied 20 points, but no other NNU player reached double figures.
After trailing 36–29 at halftime, Humboldt opened the second half on a 16–2 run to grab its first lead since the opening minutes. The two teams traded leads five times in the closing minutes, but key free throws from Jenkins and a late defensive stand secured the victory.
"Big time effort from our group tonight," said head coach DJ Broome. "We still have a long way to go, but our intent was right tonight. I thought we had great effort to executing the game plan and put together an impressive 40 minutes on the defensive end and on the glass. Very proud of the group and the challenge now is can we turn around and do it again tomorrow night.
With the win, Cal Poly Humboldt improves to 1–2 overall, while Northwest Nazarene drops to 2–1. The Lumberjacks will look to build on the momentum when they continue play in Rocklin tomorrow at the Bill Holtz Warrior Classic.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 PM against the host school, Jessup University 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.
Instagram: @humboldt.athletics
Twitter/X: @HumboldtJacks
Facebook: Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks
