ARCATA, Calif. — On a difficult Thursday evening at Lumberjack Arena, Cal State East Bay fell 101-63 to Cal Poly Humboldt as early scoring runs by the Lumberjacks set the tone and the Pioneers could not fully recover despite stretches of strong play.
Humboldt seized control in the first quarter with multiple scoring bursts, including a decisive stretch of 13 unanswered points that pushed the hosts to a 34-18 advantage after the opening frame. The Pioneers (9-14, 8-9 CCAA) worked to settle in, but the early hole proved costly.
Cal State East Bay showed more rhythm in the second quarter, tightening its defense and finding timely baskets to chip away at the deficit. Krista Sheaffer twice brought the Pioneers within single digits with mid‑range finishes, part of a 20-point quarter that saw East Bay outscore Humboldt 20-19. Despite the push, the Lumberjacks maintained a 53-38 lead at halftime.
Momentum swung firmly back to Humboldt in the third, as the Pioneers were limited to only two field goals in the period. The Lumberjacks extended their advantage with consistent inside scoring and transition opportunities, building a lead that continued to widen through the fourth quarter. East Bay managed five field goals in the final frame but could not keep pace as Humboldt closed out the game with a 48-25 second‑half scoring margin.
Sheaffer led Cal State East Bay with 17 points on 7-for-16 shooting, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, and added a team‑best six rebounds. Sierra Morris scored 11 points, and Hailey Estrada contributed 10. Overall, the Pioneers shot 40.7 percent from the field, while Humboldt finished at 48.7 percent. Rebounding was nearly even, with the Lumberjacks holding a slight 30-29 edge.
After the game, head coach Jenny Thigpin emphasized the need for improvement.
"Our effort has to improve. We have to take pride in what we do, especially on the defensive end," Thigpin said. "You can't win games when you don't show up defensively. It's on us to figure it out, and we need to do it fast."
Cal State East Bay continues its road trip on Saturday, February 14, traveling to Chico to face Chico State at 1 p.m. inside Art Acker Gymnasium. The teams last met on January 8 in Hayward, where Chico State earned a 74-56 win.
