MERCED, Calif. — It was a tough night for Cal Poly Humboldt men's basketball on Thursday as the Lumberjacks struggled to find an answer against a hot-shooting UC Merced squad, falling 83-63 in CCAA action at Greg and Cathie Hostetler Court.

The Bobcats came out firing in the first half, shooting nearly 56 percent from the field while building a 44-25 halftime advantage. Humboldt had difficulty slowing UC Merced's interior attack and transition game, as the hosts scored 58 points in the paint and 12 on the fast break.

Humboldt showed improved offensive rhythm in the second half, shooting 51.7 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc over the final 20 minutes, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome as UC Merced maintained control throughout.

Shakir Odunewu led the Lumberjacks with 11 points on an efficient 5-for-7 shooting night, adding four rebounds. Brandon Bento-Jackson, Zaveion Bineyard, and Dorrell Thomas each chipped in nine points, while Michael Sarden provided a spark off the bench with seven points in just five minutes of action.

Humboldt was unable to counter UC Merced's balanced scoring attack, led by Sterling McClanahan's game-high 28 points and Elijah Charles' 18 points and 11 rebounds.

The loss moves Cal Poly Humboldt to 12-9 overall and 10-5 in CCAA play, still firm in third place with a two-game lead over those chasing them in the standings.

The Lumberjacks will look to bounce back and close out their four-game road trip on Saturday when they face Stanislaus State at 3 p.m. inside Fitzpatrick Arena.

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