STOCKTON, Calif. - Despite a game-high 27 points from Chris Hansen, the 23rd-ranked UC San Diego men's basketball team ran into a hot-shooting Humboldt State squad and lost, 80-68, in the championship game of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament Saturday at Stockton Arena.
UCSD (22-7) will officially learn if it has qualified for the NCAA West Regional when the selections are announced on Sunday, March 6. By virtue of its league title, HSU (21-8) earns the CCAA's automatic berth into the NCAA postseason.
The Lumberjacks made 59.1 percent (26-44) of its shots overall and hit at a blistering 66.7 percent (16-24) rate in the opening half of play.
Humboldt got off to a quick 5-0 start behind a Rakim Brown three pointer and a Thomas Witzel layup and would go on to stay in front the entire way.
Leading 39-27 at halftime, the Lumberjacks pushed their advantage to 18 points in the second stanza, their largest of the night, when an Ethan Dillard trey made it 63-45 with 9:40 left in the game.
With 2:31 remaining, the Tritons cut the deficit to single digits when Hansen netted a pair of free throws, making the score 69-60 in favor of HSU. However, Brown returned the favor with a pair from the charity stripe and the 'Jacks would maintain at least a 10-point lead until the final buzzer.
Hansen was 7-for-10 from the field and a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line. It was the second time this season he had dropped 27 points, the most by any Triton this year. The freshman center also added two rebounds and an assist in 25 minutes of floor time.
Three other Tritons finished in double figures including Drew Dyer (13), Adam Klie (12) and Grant Jackson (11). Dyer also collected seven rebounds and five assists, both team-highs.
Hansen and Klie were named to the all-tournament team.
UC San Diego shot 40 percent (22-55) and made 19 of 20 (95 percent) free throws.
For Humboldt State, Brown totaled 25 points. He was 8-for-13 shooting and 7-for-11 from the free throw line while also bringing down a game-high nine rebounds. Malik Morgan had 15 points and five assists, while Witzel had 12 points to go along with seven rebounds.
The Tritons and Lumberjacks split the two-game regular season series.
The NCAA selection show will be broadcast live on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. PT at NCAA.com.
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