ARCATA, Calif. – In front of a season-high crowd of 1,024 fans, Cal Poly Humboldt men's basketball delivered a thrilling comeback, overcoming a 17-point deficit to defeat Sonoma State 75-64 on Saturday evening at Lumberjack Arena. The victory capped off a Senior Night celebration honoring Jamal Briscoe, Kyle Frelow, and Cam Timmons.
With the win, the Jacks improved to 17-10 overall and 13-9 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play, while Sonoma State fell to 12-16 (8-14 CCAA). Humboldt earned the No. 4 seed for the CCAA Tournament and will travel to San Marcos on Tuesday afternoon.
"It is always great to get a win on senior night," stated head coach Chris Tifft. "After getting down by 17 early in the game, I thought our guys showed great character and togetherness to reclaim the lead at halftime. We had a tremendous home crowd tonight and it was great to give them something to cheer for. Our program has grown in many ways over the past few months and we are excited to head into the postseason."
Turning Point
After falling behind 22-5 early in the first half, the Jacks chipped away as they got key stops defensively and went on a 21-6 run to close out the first half, reclaiming the lead 40-38. Kalib LaCount sparked the rally with an aggressive attack, finishing the night with a game-high 20 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Cal Poly Humboldt carried that momentum into the second half, outscoring the Seawolves 35-26 while holding Sonoma State to just 40.7% shooting. The Jacks sealed the game at the free-throw line, converting 16-of-19 attempts overall.
Key Performers
Sonoma State's Jakob Milling led all scorers with 25 points and 12 rebounds, but the Seawolves struggled from deep, making just 6-of-21 from beyond the arc.
Senior Night Celebration
Prior to tip-off, the Jacks honored their three seniors—Jamal Briscoe, Kyle Frelow, and Cam Timmons—for their contributions to the program. Briscoe and Frelow both made their presence felt in their final regular-season home game, combining for 16 points.
Looking Ahead
Cal Poly Humboldt will now turn its attention to the CCAA Tournament, where the Jacks aim to continue their strong form and momentum. Earning the No. 4 seed, Cal Poly Humboldt will take on No. 5 seed Cal Poly Pomona (17-10, 13-9 CCAA) on Thursday, March 6 at 2:30 PM from The Sports Center in San Marcos. Although the teams were tied for the fourth seed with the same CCAA record and split the season head-to-head match up, Humboldt held the second tiebreaker over Pomona since they defeated first place Dominguez Hills earlier in the season.
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.
