ARCATA, Calif. — Cal Poly Humboldt men's basketball erased an 11-point deficit and rode a flurry of clutch plays down the stretch to secure a 75-72 victory over Cal State LA on Saturday afternoon inside Lumberjack Arena.
With the win, the Lumberjacks extended their winning streak to three games, improved to 6-6 overall and 4-2 in CCAA play, and moved into a tie for second place in the conference standings with Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Trailing 67-66 with just over two minutes remaining, Humboldt tightened up defensively and began chipping away possession by possession. Zaveion Bineyard delivered the defining moments of the afternoon, finishing two emphatic and-one plays in the closing minutes to swing momentum firmly in the Lumberjacks' favor. The junior forward led Humboldt with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting while adding seven rebounds.
The decisive blow came in the final minute when Drew Ardouin knocked down a clutch three-pointer to give Humboldt the lead for good. Ardouin finished with eight points off the bench, all coming at critical moments, and was part of a Lumberjack bench unit that outscored Cal State LA 20-12.
Bineyard was joined in double figures by Rob Jenkins, who stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, six rebounds, and a team-high six assists, and Dorrell Thomas, who scored 11 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Wayne Hampton III added nine points and five assists, knocking down all three of his three-point attempts, while also playing a key role in orchestrating the late-game offense.
Shakir Odunewu and Brandon Bento-Jackson provided valuable contributions in the frontcourt and on the perimeter, respectively. Odunewu chipped in eight points and six rebounds in 19 minutes, while Bento-Jackson added eight points and three assists as Humboldt leaned on its balanced rotation throughout the contest.
Humboldt shot 44.8 percent from three-point range (13-of-29) and forced 15 Cal State LA turnovers, turning timely stops into scoring opportunities as the comeback unfolded. The game featured 12 lead changes, underscoring the back-and-forth nature of a tightly contested CCAA battle.
The Lumberjacks will look to keep their momentum rolling as they continue conference play next week on the road, aiming to build on their position near the top of the CCAA standings.
Action begins on Thursday at 7:30 PM versus San Francisco State (2-10, 1-5 CCAA), followed by Saturday's matchup at undefeated and No. 12 ranked Cal State East Bay (12-0, 6-0 CCAA) that tips-off at 7:30 PM as well.
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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