TURLOCK, Calif. – Even on a night when very few shots were falling, the Chico State men’s basketball team had a chance to overcome its many misfires and steal a victory from Cal State Stanislaus. In the end, though, the Wildcats could not overcome their 24.2 percent shooting, and despite pulling to within two points with four minutes to play, the ’Cats fell short of ending their five-game road swing on a positive note, as Stanislaus held on for a 66-56 win Tuesday at Warrior Arena.
After winning two straight to begin the stretch of five road contests, Chico State has now dropped three straight to fall to 9-5 overall and 5-4 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play. With Tuesday’s victory, Cal State Stanislaus has won four of its last six to improve to 8-6 on the season and 4-5 in conference play.
Chico State just could not get anything going offensively in the first period, hitting only four shots the entire half. Cal State Stanislaus was leading 8-2 before Damario Sims buried the Wildcats’ first field goal five-and-a-half minutes into the contest. A 3-pointer by Jay Flores made the score 14-9 with 9:24 to play in the half, but Chico State wouldn’t sink another bucket until Sims put in a layup with 13 seconds remaining in the period. The Wildcats’ aggressive defense and solid free-throw shooting couldn’t quite offset the team’s 19 percent shooting from the field, but they kept the ’Cats within hollering distance of the Warriors; Stanislaus taking a 29-17 lead into intermission.
The Wildcats found themselves down by 15 early in the second half before the offense briefly caught fire – 3-pointers by Sims and Jon Baird, and buckets by Roderick Hawkins, Zach Graves and Brian Seals powered a 22-11 run to trim the Warriors’ lead to 43-39. Cal State Stanislaus pushed the lead back up to eight, but a 3-pointer by Flores and five consecutive free throws by Baird pulled Chico State to within two, 52-50, with 4:06 to play. The Wildcats’ shooting woes, unfortunately, resurfaced at just the wrong time, and they would go nearly three-and-a-half minutes without a bucket…the Warriors, meanwhile, extended their lead to nine. Late 3-pointers from Baird and Flores kept Chico State close, but two costly turnovers down the stretch scuttled any last-minute heroics, and Stanislaus scored the game’s final five points to win going away, 66-56.
Baird led the Wildcats with 17 points, with 11 coming from the free-throw line. Sims nailed a pair of 3-pointers to highlight a 14-point performance, his career high as a 'Cat, while Hawkins finished just short of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Terence Pellum pulled down 10 boards for the ’Cats in the losing effort. Frank Monge of Cal State Stanislaus was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points to go along with 15 rebounds, while Chad Johnson contributed 14 points to the Warriors’ win.
BOX SCORE
The Wildcats return to Acker Gym this weekend to play their first home games in nearly three weeks. Friday Chico State plays host to the Golden Eagles of Cal State L.A., with Cal State Dominguez Hills in town on Saturday. Both games are slated to tip off at 7:30 p.m.