CHERRYVALE — The Cubs stood within an arm’s reach against Cherryvale at the halftime buzzer, but a third-quarter turnover fest derailed any chance of a Humboldt victory.
The Chargers outscored the Cubs by 12 in the second half to secure the 47-63 victory.
“We got in our own way,” Humboldt head coach David Taylor said. “We were our own worst enemy on offense, which allowed them to be successful on their offense.”
The Cubs trailed 10-4 in the early goings, but soon turned it around. Conor Haviland found Isiah Coronado underneath the rim for the easy score. The next time operating in the half-court, Drew Wilhite connected in the paint for the easy deuce, and followed with a pair of free throws to even the score heading into the second.
Humboldt left points on the scoreboard in the first. Josh Hull and Taylor Lassman struggles to find a rhythm in the paint as the Chargers racked up five first-quarter blocks.
“We have to finish when we get the ball on the block,” Taylor said.
The Cubs gained a one-point advantage after a Haviland bucket in transition and jumper from Gavin Page. Thane Meadows bumped the lead up to four after an easy scoop-and-score, but the Chargers outpaced Humboldt 14-6 to lead by four at the intermission.
To start the second half, Haviland answered with a pair of buckets on the fast break, but it was all Cherryvale from that point on. A 12-2 Charger run put Humboldt in double-digit hole for the first time of the night. It didn’t help that Humboldt failed to control the glass, allowing Cherryvale to dictate the tempo.
“We went into the abyss,” Taylor said. “We’d have good position on rebounds, but didn’t go out and attack it. We were just slow footed at times when the shots went up.”
Even in the fourth Humboldt failed to find its first-half recipe that kept them within arm’s reach. The Chargers outscored the Cubs by eight in the fourth, capturing the 63-47 win.
Taylor highlights that the Cubs’ downfall rests on their shoulders.
“They were better basketball players than us tonight,” Taylor said. “That is where they are at, and you can tell that they’ve played a little bit more together. Their passing was a better and more crisp, our were not crisp.”
The Cubs will have the chance to amend Monday night’s defeat against Bluestem tonight at home.
BOX SCORE
Humboldt (10-13-12-12—47) (pts): Wilhite 6, Coronado 8, Hottenstein 2, Haviland 21, Meadows 4, Page 4, Lassman 4.
Cherryvle (10-17-16-20—57) (pts): Bennett 17, Sawyer 7, Lantz 10, Barnett 5, G. Hooper 11, Adkinson 5, K. Hooper 6.
