HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt Cubs’ losing streak extended to three games after threatening to knock off the 4A Parsons Vikings early but fizzling in the second half of Thursday’s 73-60 loss.
Carrying a 36-34 lead by halftime, the Cubs seemed in position to slay a giant. But second-half inconsistency, potentially inflamed by a flu bug sweeping the team, saddled Humboldt with the loss.
“It was a consistency issue, and we have to take better care of the ball down the stretch,” Humboldt coach Kason Siemens said.
“We didn’t do the things that made us successful in the first half. When you do that, losses happen.”
With the postseason just around the corner, Humboldt played like a team motivated to pick up a few wins.
Sophomore guard Connor Newman put four on the scoreboard after drawing a foul while hitting a 3-pointer. A pair of 3-pointers by junior guard Luke Coronado, as well as field goals from senior forward Mason Sterling and senior guard Hayden Kelley put Humboldt up 19-9.
“We’re tired, and you could tell that in the second half,” Siemens said. “We played Tuesday, tonight and tomorrow night. Next week, we have three games. And we’re not the healthiest. The flu bug hit us, so it’s been tough.”
The Cubs could not maintain their momentum as Parsons rallied to make it a one-possession game before halftime. The Vikings took the lead in the third quarter, limiting the Cubs to seven points off field goals from Newman and Sterling, who scored 19 and 18 points respectively. Humboldt returned to form with a 17-point fourth quarter, but they could not close the gap in time as Parsons added to their lead almost entirely from the free-throw line.
With the loss, the Cubs’ record fell to 3-16 overall. They hope to pick up their first Tri-Valley League Friday on the road at Cherryvale, who twice defeated Humboldt prior to Friday’s contest.
“We played well in the first half. We shared the basketball,” Coach Siemens said. “We found open shots. We made open shots. Cherryvale has had our number a few times this year, but it’s hard to beat a team three times.”
The results from Friday’s game were not available at press time.
