Zac Tiedeman was named to the all-tournament team.
CHICO — Riding the waves of several momentum swings, Humboldt State maintained its composure to earn a 98-91 win over University of Colorado at Colorado Springs at the Mac Martin Tournament on Saturday.
After beginning the season with two defeats, the Jacks ran their current streak to six straight wins, improving to 6-2 overall and dropping UCCS to 0-5. Guards Ernie Spada and Zac Tiedeman, who led HSU with 26 and 21 points, respectively, helped finish off the resilient Mountain Lions by keying a 16-2 run that erased a nine-point deficit midway through the second half.
Both Tiedeman and Spada were chosen to the all-tournament team, along with Nick Weaver of University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Justin Argenal of Chico State. Selected as tournament MVP was host Chico State's Andy Bocian.
"We learned more lessons tonight, and its always good to learn those lessons while winning," Humboldt State head coach Tom Wood said. "What really helped us come away with this win was staying with our game plan, and Zac and Ernie making big plays for us down the stretch."
HSU held a nine-point lead with only 45 seconds remaining, but had to survive another scare before all was settled. Frank McCollum hit a three-pointer, then stole the Jacks' inbounds pass and dished to Scott Sublousky for two to cut the margin to 95-91 with 25 seconds left.
Tiedeman drained a pair of free throws and teammate Jameson Figgatt added one before coming up with a big rebound to end the contest.
Also scoring in double figures for Humboldt State were Kevin Atkins, with 14 points, and Elliot Babcock-Krenk, with 10. Atkins also grabbed 10 rebounds, and Tiedeman added four assists without a turnover, finishing the tournament with 10 assists and only one giveaway.
UC-Colorado Springs was led in scoring by Weaver's 31-point effort. Cole Smith scored 17 points, MCollom added 13 and 11 rebounds, and Sublousky contributed 11 points for the Mountain Lions.
Humboldt State's fullcourt press kept the Mountain Lions off balance for much of the game, forcing them into 25 turnovers. The extra possessions helped HSU forge a 10-point lead at 35-25 after Spada hit two free throws with 6 minutes, 28 seconds left in the first half.
The Mountain Lions responded with a 13-1 run keyed by Sublousky, who provided his team with a 39-37 lead when he hit a three-pointer. As the half wound down the Lions held onto the narrow advantage, but Tiedeman drew the Jacks even at 49-49 with a jumper at the buzzer.
Early in the second half UC-Colorado Springs reclaimed the momentum with another outburst, taking a nine-point lead on Nick Weaver's three-pointer at the 13:46 mark. The next two minutes were owned by the Jacks, however, fueled by steals from Figgatt and Babcock-Krenk, along with offensive glass work by Atkins.
Humboldt State returns home for its California Collegiate Athletic Association opener against Sonoma State, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Lumberjack Arena.