CHICO, Calif. – Justin Argenal said that it felt like time was standing still while he watched the ball go through the hoop. If only time could stand still. Then Argenal would never have to leave Acker Gym.
The career of one of Chico State’s all-time greats did come to an end Thursday, but the final chapter could not have been more perfect. Argenal buried the game-winning 3-pointer with two seconds left to lift the Chico State men’s basketball team to a thrilling 60-57 victory over postseason-bound UC San Diego at Acker Gym in its final game of the 2008-09 campaign.
Argenal, who also tied the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) career steals record Thursday, was mobbed by his teammates. They hugged and high-fived him all the way down the opposite end of the court as the crowd of 744 stood and cheered in jubilation.
“I caught it and let it go and it was almost as if it was slow motion,” said Argenal. “It didn’t swish. It kind of rattled around the rim, and it was like time was standing still as it fell through.”
Argenal’s game-winner was only possible because of the second-half domination of Zach Graves, who scored 21 of his career-high 23 points after intermission on a variety of powerful and acrobatic drives to the basket. Not surprisingly, after Josh Jackson’s steal with 32 seconds remaining gave Chico State a chance for the last shot, the plan was for Graves to attack the rim.
UC San Diego switched things up a bit by giving point guard Kelvin Kim the assignment to stop Graves, however, and he did a good job. He did receive some help from the player who was supposed to be defending Argenal on the wing, however. Graves made his first move toward the basket with nine seconds left, drove right, dished to Argenal with five, and the ball dropped through the hoop with 2.1 seconds left.
“That was crazy,” said Argenal. “I was just spotting up and Zach dribbled off the double-screen and I was wide open. It was sweet. It was unbelievable.”
The Wildcats finished a somewhat disappointing 8-19 overall and 5-15 under first-year Head Coach Greg Clink. However, their overall and conference records were their best in three years. It was a season plagued with bad luck as the Wildcats lost 11 games in which they held second-half leads, including their final eight losses of the season.
They aren’t going to get any sympathy from UC San Diego though. The Tritons never trailed in the second half Thursday until Argenal’s game-winner. UC San Diego fell to 15-10 overall and 12-7 in the CCAA. The Tritons will wrap up the regular-season Friday at Cal State Stanislaus. They would secure a first-round home game against Humboldt State in next week’s CCAA Championship Tournament with a win.
Shane Poppen led UC San Diego with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Jordan Lawley chipped in 16 points and eight boards, while Alan Husted finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Chico State trailed by as many as nine points on three different occasions in the second half but Graves scored 15 points in the final 8:29 to spur a comeback. His jumper with 3:30 left put Chico State within striking distance at 57-52. Jackson made it a one-possession game moments later when he nabbed a steal, raced down court for a layup, was fouled, and completed the three-point play to cut the lead to 57-55.
Graves tied the game on a nifty driving bucket with 1:14 remaining, and after a UC San Diego timeout, Jackson ripped the ball away from Husted to give the Wildcats the ball with a chance to win.
Jackson, a sophomore, finished with five points, three steals, and no turnovers in 29 minutes. Another sophomore, Roderick Hawkins, finished with eight points and a team-high eight rebounds. Senior Robert Ash pulled down a career-high four rebounds on senior day and also dished out a pair of assists. Another senior, LaCurtis Sumlin III, contributed two points and three rebounds in his final collegiate game.
Chris Sharp scored all nine of his points in the first half and seemed like the only offensive weapon the Wildcats had early on. The man whose place he took on the floor, Andy Bocian, struggled in his final collegiate game, scoring seven points on 2-of-12 shooting. He scored five straight points midway through the second half when it looked like UC San Diego might run away with the game, however. And he finished his career with 1,449 points, the fifth most in Chico State history. He will also likely claim the CCAA’s scoring title.
Argenal finished with six points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal, and matched his career high with two blocked shots. He will wait to learn if has done enough to claim his fourth consecutive CCAA assists crown. CSU Monterey Bay’s Steve Monreal, Argenal’s closest competition, would need eight assists Friday to match him.
Already the CCAA’s all-time leader in assists, Argenal tied the conference steals record when he wrestled the ball away from Kim early in the second half. He shares the record of 211 with former Cal State L.A. player Quincy Stinson.
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