CHICO, Calif – The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) can be unkind and unforgiving. First year Chico State Head Coach Greg Clink and his team are finding that out all too often this season. Cal State Monterey Bay outscored the Wildcats 12-2 over the game’s final three minute to erase a three-point deficit and hand the Wildcats another punch-in-the-gut loss, 78-71.
The Wildcats, who lost on a late 3-pointer Friday night against San Francisco State, have now lost four games this season after leading with three minutes or less remaining. They’ve also lost three more games when tied or trailing by one in that same time span, including the last time they played CSU Monterey Bay.
The frustrating loss tempered the celebration of Justin Argenal’s record-setting night. The Chico State senior, playing in his 100th career game for the Wildcats, broke the CCAA’s 28-year-old career assist record with his fifth of the night and 541st of his career on Roderick Hawkins’ 3-pointer late in the first half. Argenal finished the night with eight dimes, enough to pass Jim Schultz, who played at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo from 1979-81.
Argenal’s final assist set up Andy Bocian for a jumper that staked Chico State to a 69-66 lead with three minutes remaining. CSU Monterey Bay’s Joe Mitchell scored on a tip-in with two minutes left to cut the lead to one, and then Steve Monreal went coast-to-coast to draw a foul on a heady play with 1:33 remaining, and by sinking both foul shots, put the Otters ahead to stay.
CSU Monterey Bay built the lead to 72-69 after Mitchell made two free throws following another Chico State turnover. Hawkins missed two free throws with 28 seconds left, and then Monreal made four straight in a seven-second span to put the game on ice.
CSU Monterey Bay improved to 13-6 overall and 7-5 in the CCAA, while Chico State dipped to 6-13 overall and 3-9 in the CCAA.
Monreal finished with a game-high 25 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. He also tallied with four assists and four steals. Jose Sanchez and Trevor Ray chipped in 11 points apiece, Warren Freeman scored 10 in 15 minutes off the bench, and Mitchell notched eight points, a game-high 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Sean Jergo scored seven points and blocked four shots.
Bocian led Chico State with 21 points, but had a rough night shooting, finishing 8-for-23 from the floor. Hawkins scored 11 points, all in the first half. Zach Graves finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Argenal and Josh Jackson scored nine points apiece. Jackson added six rebounds and three steals while Argenal contributed eight assists and four steals before fouling out with 21 seconds remaining.
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