ARCATA, Calif. – In front of a packed Lumberjack Arena, Cal Poly Humboldt went toe-to-toe with undefeated and No. 2-ranked Cal State East Bay on Thursday night, pushing the Pioneers further than any opponent this season before falling just short in an 88-84 overtime thriller.

The Lumberjacks (12-11, 10-7 CCAA) erased a 10-point halftime deficit and battled through nine ties and 10 lead changes, ultimately forcing overtime against the CCAA's top defense, which entered the night allowing just 64.2 points per game. The Pioneers (23-0, 17-0 CCAA) remained unbeaten, although the Jacks delivered one of their most complete efforts of the season.

Humboldt was highly efficient offensively, shooting 50 percent (28-of-56) from the field and an impressive 91.3 percent (21-of-23) from the free-throw line. The Jacks were a perfect 10-for-10 at the stripe in the opening half and 3-for-3 in overtime, keeping the pressure on East Bay throughout.

However, 26 turnovers proved costly against the conference's most disruptive defense, as the Pioneers converted those miscues into 27 points and managed to escape in the extra period.

Balanced Attack Fuels Jacks

Shakir Odunewu led the way with 17 points and a dominant 12 rebounds for his double-double, anchoring the paint on both ends. He added two steals and a block in 36 minutes of action.

Rob Jenkins poured in 16 points, knocking down 6-of-7 from the free-throw line while dishing out six assists. Zaveion Bineyard was nearly perfect from the field, going 6-of-6 and finishing with 15 points, four blocks, and three rebounds in a strong two-way performance.

Off the bench, Tyriq McNeal provided a major spark with 11 points and six rebounds in just 18 minutes, while Drew Ardouin electrified the home crowd with three three-pointers en route to 13 points. Brandon Bento-Jackson added two timely triples as the Jacks shot 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Humboldt dominated early, shooting 63.6 percent in the first half and matching East Bay shot-for-shot down the stretch. The Jacks outscored the Pioneers 34-24 in the second half to force overtime after trailing 51-41 at the break.

In the extra session, both teams traded key buckets before East Bay capitalized in the final moments to seal the four-point win.

By the Numbers

• Humboldt shot 50.0 percent from the field and 91.3 percent from the line.

• The Jacks held a 29-24 rebounding edge.

• Nine ties and 10 lead changes highlighted the tightly contested battle.

• Humboldt's bench contributed 24 points.

Despite the setback, the Lumberjacks remain tied for third place with Cal State Monterey Bay in the CCAA standings with five regular-season games remaining.

Humboldt will look to snap its four-game skid on Saturday at 3 p.m. when it hosts San Francisco State (3-20, 2-15 CCAA) inside Lumberjack Arena.

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