3rd-quarter rally fuels big win
Down 12 at halftime, Humboldt roars back to beat SF State 76-70
In a must-win game, the Cal Poly Humboldt women’s basketball team overcame a 12-point halftime deficit to beat San Francisco State 76-70 on Thursday. The win snaps a five-game losing streak for the ‘Jacks as they improve to 7-10 and are now in a three-way tie for sixth place in the CCAA standings.
Although SF State came into the game behind Humboldt at 10th place in the league standings, the Gators posed a significant challenge as one of the most athletic teams the Lumberjacks have faced all season. But SF State also lacked consistency and was missing their top scorer Mya Blake. After the ‘Jacks weathered the first-half runs, their secondhalf adjustments led to superb execution to close out the game.
“Our backs were against the wall at halftime,” said Humboldt coach Michelle Bento-Jackson. “We just need to be aggressors and stay together and continue to improve each game.”
In the first quarter, both teams’ level of play was arguably the best it had been all season. The two teams traded baskets in a backand-forth first quarter, but Humboldt missed a few open looks which led to them trailing 20-18 heading into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, that failure to capitalize on opportunities became more costly as the lapses defensively became more prevalent. The Lumberjacks defensive rotations, which had been solid in the first period, were not as clean and the Gators made them pay going 9-for-14 in the quarter to finish out the half with a 56.7% percentage. On the other hand, the Lumberjacks hovered around 38% but were aggressive in attacking the basket and drawing fouls. The ‘Jacks went 9-for-12 on free throw attempts, helping to
sustain their offense and keep things within striking distance.
Humboldt trailed SF State 45-33 at halftime with the reason simply being shot-making as the two teams were essentially even in rebounding and the turnover battle in the first half.
In the second half, the ‘Jacks vastly accelerated their transition offense and outran the Gators’ bigs who had been dominated the paint. SF State center Tierra Snipes, who led the team with 22 points, proved to be a vulnerability defensively and Humboldt took advantage.
In particular, the Lumberjacks hit key 3-pointers on the fast break as they erased the deficit in the third quarter. The ‘Jacks outscored the Gators 29-8 in the period to take a commanding 62-53 lead. Jayci Bayne hit several big shots in the midst of that offensive outburst, scoring all 8 of her points in the third period. Devon Lewis spurred the fast break and found open teammates as the Lumberjacks took complete control of the pace in
the second half.
“We needed to take advantage of our offense,” said Lewis. “They have some shifty little guards, but we have our tempo.”
It was a stunning reversal after the underwhelming first half. Humboldt appeared to assert itself as the superior team in all facets of the game in the final 20 minutes. The Lumberjacks were steadfast as they repelled the Gators’ comeback effort down the stretch. Humboldt’s leading scorer Madison Parry had some uncharacteristic struggles with finishing at the rim, but she remained resilient and helped to
close out the win with 5 straight points to put the game out of reach at 73-64 with just under two minutes remaining.
In the final stat sheet, the two teams were still fairly even. SF State actually shot higher percentages from the field and from 3-point range than Humboldt, but the key difference was the Lumberjacks’ ability to get to the free-throw line. Humboldt was 19-for-27 from the charity strike compared to 10-for-19 for the Gators.
“When we’re the aggressors,” said Bento-Jackson, “there’s a lot more positive things coming from us on
the offensive end.”
Individually, Parry led the ‘Jacks in scoring despite a few missed chances, a testament to her status as one of the best players in the conference. The sophomore finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists along with 2 blocks. The outside shooting and free throw efficiency of Kaz Parks and Sarah Ahmadpour was another key factor as the duo combined to go 5-for-10 from 3-point range and 7-for-8 at the line. Parks finished with 15 points while Ahmadpour added 13 points and 7 rebounds off the bench. And the court general Lewis nearly had a double-double with 11 points and 9 assists in addition to 6 rebounds.
“We wanted to win bad; we were tired of losing,” said Lewis. “We had people lift each other up, it was just a great energy.”
With the losing streak behind them, the ‘Jacks will now face last-place Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday as they try to work their way back up the league standings and secure a spot in the postseason conference tournament.