SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Cal Poly Humboldt men's basketball continued its red-hot form on Saturday afternoon, securing a historic 91-81 road victory over Cal State San Bernardino at Coussoulis Arena. The win marks the Lumberjacks' fifth consecutive conference triumph and their first season sweep of CSUSB since the 2015-16 season. It was also Humboldt's first road win at San Bernardino since 2017.
"It always feels good to get a win versus a quality program like San Bernardino," said head coach Chris Tifft. "This was the first game in the last two years in which I felt like we had a little bit of a target on our back, and our guys came out ready to play. We played unselfish on the offensive end, and really competed on the defensive end. It will be great to get back to Arcata and play in front of our home crowd on Thursday."
Sophomore guard Rob Diaz III delivered a career performance, pouring in a career-high 27 points while shooting an impressive 11-for-15 from the field, including 5-for-7 from three-point range. Diaz also tied his career high with seven assists, showcasing his all-around playmaking ability. Kalib Lacount contributed a strong performance of his own, scoring 18 points and tying his career high with nine assists, just one shy of a double-double.
The Lumberjacks' 91 points marked their highest-scoring output of the season and the most they have tallied since February 17 of last year. Humboldt's offense was firing on all cylinders, shooting a blistering 63% from the field, including 54.5% from beyond the arc.
Despite a close first half, with Humboldt holding a slim 42-39 lead at the break, the Jacks pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Coyotes 49-42. Humboldt's efficiency skyrocketed after halftime, shooting 69.2% from the field and 75% from three in the final 20 minutes.
Two other Lumberjacks finished in double figures—Aidan Fowler (14 points) and Marsai Mason (12 points)—as Humboldt's balanced attack kept the Coyotes at bay. The Jacks also won the rebounding battle 30-24, led by Kyle Frelow's seven boards.
On the other side, CSUSB's Andrew Henderson led all scorers with 28 points and 9 rebounds, while Evan Oliver added 24 points.
With the victory, Humboldt improves to 12-7 overall and 8-6 in CCAA play, continuing its push up the conference standings as they sit in fourth place and one game behind San Bernardino (16-7, 9-5 CCAA) who still reside in third place. The Jacks will look to extend their win streak to six for the first time since February 2015 this Thursday in Lumberjack Arena.
Up Next:
Cal Poly Humboldt returns to Lumberjack Arena on Thursday, February 6, to take on Cal State Monterey Bay (6-13, 3-11 CCAA). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. The Jacks defeated the Otters in Seaside 81-70 on January 4.
For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt men's basketball, please visit humboldtathletics.com, download our mobile app, and follow us on all social media platforms.
