ROHNERT PARK, Calif. - Another close game. Another painful loss. The Chico State men's basketball team led by four with 1:29 to play, missed a potential game-winning shot with two seconds left, and then was beaten in overtime by a Sonoma State squad the Wildcats are attempting to chase down for the final California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament berth. The 71-62 loss, Chico State's sixth straight and 12th overall in a game in which it held a second-half lead, dropped the Wildcats to 6-16 overall and 3-12 in the CCAA. They now trail Sonoma State by three games with five to play.
Justin Argenal scored eight of his team-high 16 points during a two-and-a-half minute stretch in which the Wildcats turned a five-point deficit into a two-point lead with just over four minutes to play. Andy Bocian's 3-pointer with 1:37 remaining gave the Wildcats a 56-52 cushion.
Sonoma State's Ben Washington was fouled on a 3-point attempt seconds later, however, and drained two of three free throws to make it a two-point game. Kyle Shandera blocked Bocian's jump shot with 59 seconds to play to give the Seawolves the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead, and Steven Pratt got them that tie when he grabbed an offensive board, was fouled, and made both free throws with 16 seconds to play.
Bocian had a chance to win it in regulation for the Wildcats, but his 3-pointer with two seconds left was off the mark and the game went to overtime.
Chico State opened the overtime period with a turnover and three missed shots as Sonoma State built an eight-point lead. Argenal's 3-pointer briefly gave the Wildcats some life, but he would join Bocian, Josh Jackson, and Chris Sharp on the bench with five fouls moments later as Sonoma State won going away.
The Wildcats were whistled for 30 fouls to Sonoma State's 14, and the Seawolves attempted 46 free throws to Chico State's 10. Pratt himself made 10-of-11 free throws, attempting more than the entire Chico State roster.
Sonoma State improved to 10-12 overall and 6-9 in the CCAA behind Pratt's 16 points. Shandera and Keith Garner finished with 13 points apiece.
Bocian finished with 15 points for Chico State and buried 3-of-5 threes. With 1,347 career points, he is now only five points short of moving past Deon Robinson into fifth place on the University's all-time scoring list. Roderick Hawkins pulled down a career and game-high 10 rebounds and also dished out a season-high five assists. Sharp scored 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Argenal added four rebounds, three assists and two steals to his line and now needs just one more steal to tie Deon Robinson for Chico State's career steals record at 203.
Argenal will try to break that record and simultaniously break Chico State's streak of brutal losses Saturday night at Humboldt State. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30.
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