TAOYUAN CITY, Taiwan — Shaking off jet lag, Humboldt State entertained an enthusiastic crowd with a high-flying 102-53 victory over Shih Chien University in the Jacks' opener of the Kainan University International Basketball Invitational on Monday.
Making his Lumberjack debut, junior transfer Brian Morris scored 29 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to pace HSU, while Kevin Atkins added 17 points and Colt Mathews 12 and nine rebounds in a balanced effort. All 11 players on the Jacks' traveling roster for the event got in on the action, gaining a 55-31 lead by halftime and never letting up.
The game provided HSU with a good opportunity to adjust to international playing rules that include a 24-second clock and four 10-minute quarters. Utilizing its inside presence effectively, the Jacks went inside repeatedly to Morris in the early going, and cranked up the defense to force the team from Taipei into turnovers.
Also helping out on offense for the Jacks was Will Petty, with nine points and seven rebounds, Kyle Baxter, with nine points, and David Broome, with seven points and three assists. Zac Tiedeman dished a team-high six assists, but sat out most of the second half.
The task gets tougher as tournament action continues Tuesday with an 11:30 a.m. local time game against Taiwan's University Basketball Association champions, National Taiwan Normal University. NTNU finished its season with an ubeaten 15-0 record, and features former BYU-Hawaii standout Wu Dai-hao and seven players who start for professional teams on the island.
Along with making their international court debut, the Lumberjacks also enjoyed opening ceremonies that included a Chinese puppet show and skits put on by all of the attending schools. The tournament includes four schools from Taiwan, one each from Australia, Hungary and Japan, along with the Lumberjacks.