Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics

It was a disappointing start to conference play for Cal Poly Humboldt basketball over the weekend, as both the men’s and women’s teams fell to Chico State at Lumberjack Arena.

The CPH men fell 87-79 and the women fell 77-56.

According to the Jacks sports information department, a crowd of 600 showed up for the doubleheader win Saturday.

The Humboldt men mounted a big comeback in the second half of their game and cut what had been a double-digit deficit to just a single possession.

However, the visitors were able to hold on down the stretch.

The Lumberjacks trailed by seven at halftime but began their comeback midway through the second half, keyed by big performances from Josiah Sanders and Marsai Mason.

Sanders led all scorers with 22 points, going 8-of-15 from the field and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line. 

Mason provided a spark off the bench, securing his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

A balanced Chico attack was led by Jojo Murphy’s 20 points, with Trae Taylor adding a double-double and finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. 

Chico State’s defense forced 21 turnovers, which resulted in 29 points.

With the loss, the Jacks dropped to 3-2 on the season and 0-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

They will try to bounce back when they host San Francisco State (3-4, 1-0 CCAA) in another conference game on Thursday. 

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics

The Humboldt women, meanwhile, struggled to overcome a strong offensive performance by Chico State.

The Wildcats, who improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the CCAA, were led by Meadow Aragon, who posted a dominant double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

She shot 10-for-13 from the field, while her teammate Jordan Allred added 22 points, including four 3-pointers.

The Jacks, who dropped to 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the CCAA, were paced by Dailani Richardson, who finished with 17 points, including three 3s.

Kaiija Lesane added 12 points and nine rebounds, while Jadis Watson chipped in 10 points.

Former Del Norte Warrior and Big 5 MVP Jadence Clifton played 25 minutes for the visitors and finished with eight rebounds and two points.

The Humboldt women will also be in action on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. when they host San Francisco State (2-4, 0-1 CCAA).