LA JOLLA, Calif. - The 13th-ranked UC San Diego men's basketball team cut a 25-point deficit to just five, but could not complete the comeback bid, falling 82-72 against California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rival Humboldt State Friday night at RIMAC Arena.
UCSD is now 9-2 overall and 4-1 in CCAA play. HSU, which won its sixth consecutive game, upped its marks to 10-1 and 4-1. Both teams are part of a four-way tie for second place in the conference.
With 15:29 remaining in the game, Tyras Rattler sunk the first of his three straight three-pointers to kick off a 15-0 run for Humboldt. When the spurt was over, the Lumberjacks held a 65-40 lead, their largest of the evening, with just under 12 minutes left.
Over the next 10 minutes, the Tritons chipped away, out-scoring their opponent 32-12. With 1:49 on the clock, Drew Dyer hit a three to bring UCSD within five at 77-72. However, the 'Jacks answered with a Thomas Witzel trey and kept the Tritons off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Dyer, a senior forward, finished with 14 points, which put him over the 1,000-point mark for his career. He is the 13th Triton to accomplish the feat and the fourth since UC San Diego moved to NCAA Division II status prior to the 2000-01 season.
Adam Klie had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Tritons, both team-highs. He also added three assists and three steals. Chris Hansen totaled 12 points and Aleks Lipovic had 10.
HSU's Rakim Brown led all players with 27 points and nine boards. He was 11 for 13 from the free throw line. Witzel finished with 20 points.
Humboldt State out-shot UC San Diego 49.2 percent (29-59) to 39.4 percent (26-66).
The Tritons' largest lead was two, 13-11, at the 12-minute point of the first half. With 8:58 remaining in the stanza, an Ethan Dillard layup broke a 17-17 tie and the Lumberjacks led until the final buzzer. They held a 38-32 advantage at halftime.
UC San Diego faces another tough test Saturday as it hosts undefeated and fifth-ranked Cal Poly Pomona (12-0, 5-0) at 7:30 p.m. The first-place Broncos took down Cal State San Bernardino, 82-72, Friday on the road.
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