Chico State sophomore Justin Briggs scored 18 points (just one off his career high) and pulled down a career high 12 rebounds to lead the Wildcats to a come-from-behind win at Cal State East Bay Saturday night at Pioneer Gymnasium, and earn Wildcat of the Week honors.
The 6-foot-10 center hit 7-of-10 shots and 5-of-6 free throws. He was even better during a 12-point second half, making 4-for-5 shots and all four of his free throws.
Briggs did most of his damage during the Wildcats' 37–10 run that spanned the final 10 minutes of the first half and first five minutes of the second half. Chico State turned a 27–14 deficit into a 51–37 lead during that time, and Briggs fueled the push with 12 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks.
The program's single-season record holder for blocked shots—set last season during his freshman campaign—Briggs also piled up three blocks Saturday. He now leads the Wildcats and ranks second in the CCAA with 1.4 rejections per game.
Briggs ranks fifth in school history with 79 career blocked shots, and he's just 10 shy of tying for second all-time.
Briggs enters Tuesday night's 7:30 matchup against Simpson University averaging 11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. He's shooting 59 percent from the field, tops among Wildcats averaging five or more shot attempts per game.
