SEASIDE, Calif. - Junior Russell carried the Chico State men's basketball team in the first half, and Andy Bocian did the heavy lifting in the second half, but the Wildcats came up just short in an 87-84 loss at Cal State Monterey Bay in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opener for both teams Friday night at the new Otter Sports Complex. Russell scored 16 of his season-high 20 points in the first half, and Bocian scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half.

Chico State's Josh Jackson surely had mixed emotions following the game. The Wildcats' talented sophomore held Otters leading scorer Steve Monreal to just one field goal and six points (15 fewer than his season average). He also scored eight points, grabbed a pair of rebounds, and dished out an assist. He had a chance to give Chico State the lead in the closing seconds with his team trailing 86-84, but misfired on a 3-pointer from the top of the key. He also missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Chico State fell to 2-5 overall and 0-1 in the CCAA with its 19th in-conference road loss in its last 21 chances. Cal State Monterey Bay improved to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the CCAA under first-year Head Coach and former Wildcats assistant Rob Bishop.

Bocian's 24 points moved brought his career total to 1,084 and moved him past Aaron Martella (1990-94) into ninth on Chico State's career scoring list. He has an outside chance of moving up that list tonight when the Wildcats face San Francisco State on the road. He needs 29 points to tie Jason Van Eck (1990-94) for eighth. Justin Argenal, who dished out a game-high eight assists Friday, also has a chance to make history tonight. He needs seven assists to tie Antone Curtis for first on the University's career assist list.

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