by Sadie Shields
Loud music, a roaring crowd and a wandering Santa Claus filled Lumberjack Arena as the Toys for Tots Ugly Christmas Sweater event began at the Lumberjack’s basketball games on Saturday, Dec. 6.
After both teams decisively beat Stanislaus State on their conference opener on Thursday, the Cal Poly Humboldt’s Women’s Basketball Team cruised past UC Merced on Saturday, winning 94–55. They dominated the match through balanced scoring and relentless defensive pressure, pulling away early and not allowing the Bobcats to regain momentum. The Jacks controlled the tempo with aggressive ball pressure, converting turnovers into fast-break points and consistently stretching the floor with perimeter shooting.
Forward Kyori Lloyd paced Humboldt with 17 points, while guards Riley Sanz and Shade Satica contributed 15 and 11 points respectively. Satica also had a game-high eight steals, anchoring the team’s defensive effort. Center Jordyn Smith provided a strong two-way performance, impacting the game with scoring, rebounding and rim protection. Despite 15 points from Merced’s Paloma Ramirez and 13 points from Nicole Lukito, the Bobcats struggled with turnovers and offensive consistency, as Humboldt’s sustained pressure dictated the flow of the game from start to finish.
Meanwhile for Men’s Basketball, UC Merced gained a decisive lead in the second half to secure a 74–64 victory over Cal Poly Humboldt, relying on transition offense, interior scoring and timely defensive stops to maintain control after halftime.
Cal Poly Humboldt found offensive rhythm at times through lineup changes that created more spacing and shooting on the floor. Guard Michael Sarden thought the new lineups led to a more dynamic game even if the outcome wasn’t desirable.
“Yeah, [Coach Broome] tried a couple different lineups that we played with in practice, but just hasn’t been revealed in the game yet,” Sarden said. “We had some good chemistry with a couple other guys. We’re able to play well off each other, get the plan kicked out, get some good threes. We had a lot of scores, a lot of shooters on the floor, at the same time.”
Humboldt showed improvement in transition and defensive stretches, though consistency remained an issue. Despite the loss, guard Drew Ardouin thought some aspects of the team’s game improved.
“I think we did better in transition compared to other games,” Ardouin said. “We had some stretches of good defense, [and] had some good runs.”
Ball movement in the second half helped create easier scoring chances and temporarily shifted momentum, yet the Bobcats kept scoring as they broke through defenses and dominated the paint. The Jacks could improve by strengthening their defense at the net and taking more shots from spots where they feel more comfortable in.
“In the second half, when we were moving the ball as a team, letting the ball touch both sides of the court and sharing it with each other, we were able to create easy opportunities for each other and knock down shots,” Ardouin said. “I think the energy and the whole gym just completely shifted after that.”
Sarden, who entered in the second half, said the game reinforced the importance of staying ready off the bench.
“I think this game taught me to be ready for any moment,” Sarden said. “I didn’t play in the first half and I got in the second half, I had to automatically just get to it and be able to provide positive minutes for my team.”
Despite late pushes from the Jacks, UC Merced’s control of the court and execution throughout the game sealed the victory. The Jacks will continue CCAA play against Cal State San Marcos on Dec. 19, with women’s basketball having nonconference games against Western Oregon and Saint Martin’s before then.
Sadie is a junior communications major, journalism minor at Cal Poly Humboldt who has an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and wildlife journalism, and a slight interest in breaking news. She can be reached at sls331@humboldt.edu.
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