‘An embarrassing loss’ for Humboldt at home
It was a must-win game for both teams on the floor at Lumberjack Arena on Thursday. But in the aftermath of a 22-point blowout that could be attributed to a general lack of focus, it ultimately seemed only one team was aware of the matchup’s importance.
“East Bay came out with a sense of urgency and an understanding of how big this game is and what is at stake,” said Humboldt coach Michelle BentoJackson. “I just … I didn’t think that was something I had to explain.”
There was no single aspect that caused the Lumberjacks to lose 9068 at home in a game that might very well cost Humboldt any chance at the postseason. The team was defeated in nearly every statistical category. A resigned coach BentoJackson summarized the performance, and the cost of the loss, with brutal honesty in her post-game press conference.
“This pains me to say this because this is typically not characteristic of my teams, but we got outtoughed tonight in numerous areas tonight,” said Bento-Jackson. “This one probably cost us as far as postseason and having a chance at the conference tournament.”
It was a truly disheartening performance. The ‘Jacks gave up 90 points to an offense that was ranked in the bottom half of the conference in scoring. They allowed Cal State East Bay to 53.3% from the field and 61.5% from 3-point range, despite the fact the Pioneers are last in the CCAA in 3-point percentage. East Bay had more than twice as many rebounds as Humboldt in the game.
Despite the disastrous final result, the Lumberjacks were competitive out of the gate. They trailed only 23-19 at the end of the first quarter, but the team appeared to be unaware how unfortunate they were considering how poorly they played. East Bay dominated the paint with 16 of their 23 coming inside.
But more frustrating was the repeated lapses in focus and effort. There were several turnovers as players were unengaged or casually attempted to secure a pass only to fumble it away. The game was filled with moments when players were not on the same page for simple passes, resulting in turnovers.
The deficit on the glass was often the result of a general lack of awareness on the team in regard to loose balls.
But things truly unraveled in the second quarter. East Bay has only one player on their roster, Payton Sterk, who is a true threat from 3-point range. And the Lumberjacks repeatedly failed to account for her on the perimeter. Sterk opened the quarter with four consecutive 3-pointers and finished the second period going 6-for-7 from beyond the arc. In total, She had 7 of her team’s 8 made 3-pointers in the game.
In the second half, it was East Bay’s Jaela Richardson that carried the team’s offense as she dominated on the interior with Humboldt’s tallest player, forward Jaydon Williams, out with an injury. Richardson finished with a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds, with 18 of those points coming in the second half.
Humboldt could never muster enough offense or defense to make any sort of comeback.
“It’s an embarrassing loss to be quite frank,” said Bento-Jackson.
The final stats reflected the grim result. Humboldt was out-rebounded 3816 on the night. The two teams were even in the turnover battle, mostly because East Bay’s reserves were sloppy in the final minutes. Perhaps the most staggering statistic is the difference in points off turnovers and secondchance points between the two squads. East Bay had 29 second chance points compared to just 7 for Humboldt. The Pioneers had 23 points off turnovers compared to 12 for
the Lumberjacks.
Humboldt’s offense was actually relatively solid, highlighted by Madison Parry and Jayci Bayne both finishing with 17 points on a combined 50% from the field. Sara Ahmadpour added 15 points and 5 assists while going 4-for-5 from the field. But the failure on the defensive end was insurmountable.
“We realized we lost the Chico game because of our defense and here we go, we give up 90 points,” said Bento-Jackson. “Obviously we did not make the change on the defensive end that is required to win basketball games.”
Humboldt came into the game tied with East Bay for the seventh spot in the league standings, just outside the top six that advance to the conference tournament. They had a chance to separate themselves from the pack with a season sweep of the Pioneers that would give the ‘Jacks a tie-breaker in the standings. Humboldt would have been two games firmly ahead of the teams behind them.
Now, the Lumberjacks are in eighth place as they prepare to host Cal State Dominguez Hills, the ninthranked team in the country, on Saturday. In their final five games, Humboldt faces four of the top five teams in the CCAA standings. For the team to have any shot at the postseason conference tournament, they would likely have to win four of those games. It’s an unlikely scenario, but it’s a glimmer of hope if this team can recover from this embarrassing defeat.