Toros Men No Match for Top-Ranked Humboldt State, Lose 105-68
NCAA Division II No. 1-ranked Lumberjacks cut Toros down to size in non-conference action
December 30, 2002

CARSON, Calif.-Five Humboldt State players scored in double figures, led by Austin Nichols 28 points, to lead top-ranked Humboldt State to a 105-68 non-conference win Monday night over Cal State Dominguez Hills in the Torodome. The victory marked the 300th career coaching win for Lumberjack head coach Tom Wood during his 22-year tenure on the Arcata, CA campus.

Humboldt State, which came into the game with the No. 1 ranking in NCAA Division II, elevates to 9-0 on the year. Cal State Dominguez Hills drops to 3-4 on the young season.

The game started a bit slow with both teams combining for 25 points in the first ten minutes. Down 18-7 midway through the first half, CSUDH went on a 8-0 run to trim the lead to 18-15 on an offensive rebound and put-back by Justin Goree (Fairfield, CA) with 6:42 left.

The Lumberjacks responded with a 20-5 run to take control of the game, 38-20, with just over three minutes left in the period. HSU forward Fred Hooks highlighted the run eight points to help the 'Jacks take an 18-point cushion into the intermission, 46-28.

Humboldt State came out hot in the second half opening up the period with a 10-0 run to take a 28-point lead. The Lumberjacks never looked back from there building leads as much as 40 points late in the game before settling for the 105-68 final. The 'Jacks shot a blazing 72% in the second half making 21 of its 29 shot attempts.

Nichols' 28 points paced Humboldt's attack while shooting a blistering 11-16 from the floor. Kaylin Thornton came off the bench to add 19 points while Hooks finished with 15. Trey Shannon, who grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, and Ryan Wilber each added 10 points. As a team, HSU shot 64% from the field (38-59) and outrebounded the Toros 41-25.

Cal State Dominguez Hills was led by seniors Goree and Andre' Brown (San Jose, CA) with 18 points each. Brown also pulled down a team-best five rebounds. As a team, CSUDH shot 43% in the game (25-58) including 4-13 from beyond the 3-point stripe.

The Toros are back in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action this weekend travelling to Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino on Friday and Saturday.. Both games are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.