By Barley Lewis-McCabe
With 20 seconds on the clock, the women’s team was down by two points, Lumberjack Arena was filled with an array of people shouting “DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE.” The Jacks called time out to draw up a play, and the energy in the stadium was palpable. With 10 seconds left on the clock, sophomore Kyori Lloyd took the ball up the court and drilled a 2-pointer to tie the game.
On Thursday night, the campus celebrated the blackout basketball game, presented by the Umoja Center for Pan-African Student Excellence. The event consisted of back-to-back games against Cal State San Marcos, starting with the women’s team and ending with the men’s.
The women’s team kicked off the event with strong defense, but it wasn’t enough to escape the Cougars’ claws. With half a second left in the game, San Marcos scored a buzzer-beating layup to win in a nail-biting 55-57 game.
Coming into the second game, it was clear the Jacks and the audience were ready for redemption.
The smell of popcorn wafted through the stands. The men’s team had a noticeable pep in their step as they pushed through the Cougars’ defense early in the game, though San Marcos maintained a strong offensive performance.
At halftime, the Umoja Center celebrated esteemed Black staff and faculty, calling them onto the court and handing out gift bags to the sound of the audience’s applause. During Black Liberation Month, the Umoja Center held a series of events to celebrate Black excellence, from karaoke to cooking and more, all with the intent of uplifting the Black community at Humboldt. Program Coordinator for Umoja, Alexus-Harrelle Deshazier, spoke highly of the events highlighting Black students.
“I think at Humboldt specifically, we really need to be able to see ourselves. If we can’t see ourselves, we can’t be ourselves,” Deshazier said. “And having more events outside of February and having people support those events is really important to that. Not just for our Black students and their retention or graduation, but really for their overall enjoyment.”
As the second half of the game began, the Jacks cut through San Marcos’s defense like an axe chopping wood. The Cougars were getting lethargic, missing more shots and getting less defensive stops. As the marching band’s tempo picked up the players found their groove, preventing San Marcos’s attempts at making a comeback and keeping strong possession of the ball.
As vigorous as San Marcos’s efforts were, they weren’t enough, as they repeatedly missed their free throws, which became their main option for getting on the board. The final buzzer rang through the air and the stands erupted with cheers and applause. The men’s team won in a 78-59 blowout, and will move on to the finals this week.
Barley is a freshman journalism major, photojournalist, and untraditional reporter, they like to cover interesting stories that center on social change, and human impact.
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