CHICO – One used to be the loneliest number. But in the hallways of Acker Gym this week, it’s become the magic-est number. The Chico State men’s basketball team needs just one win or one Cal State Stanislaus loss to claim its first postseason berth since the 2004-05 season. Certainly adding to the buzz is the fact that the Chico State women have a magic number of one as well.
The Chico State men are 14-9 overall and 10-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) following three straight wins last week. They are in fifth place in the CCAA. The top eight teams will advance to the CCAA Championship Tournament, which runs March 2-6. The winner of that tournament earns at automatic berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament.
While one win in their final four games sounds like an easy task for the men’s basketball team, a closer look at the matchups reveals some epic battles in the offing. The Wildcats will face two of their longest running rivals and two of the teams that have given them the hardest time over the last decade.
Sonoma State visits Friday. And though the Seawolves (8-15 overall, 7-11 CCAA) have struggled with a young lineup, they hammered the Wildcats 77-58 in Rohnert Park in mid-January, and have now won 11 of 12 and 17 of the last 19 matchups against the Wildcats. Sonoma State has also been playing much better basketball down the stretch of the season, having won five of their last nine beginning with their win against Chico State.
Saturday night’s opponent, Humboldt State, is 17-6 overall and locked in a three-way tie atop the conference standings at 14-4. The Lumberjacks handed Chico State a 72-60 loss earlier this season in Arcata, and have now won 10 straight against the Wildcats. Chico State’s last win against Humboldt State came on Nov. 27, 2004 in Acker Gym, giving former Wildcats Head Coach Puck Smith his 250th career win.
It’s certainly worth noting that one of Smith’s long-time cohorts, Humboldt State Head Coach Tom Wood, will be making his last trip to Chico State as the Lumberjacks’ Head Coach. Wood, in his 29th season at the program’s helm announced his retirement on Jan. 26, effective at the end of this season. Wood has over 450 career victories. Wood’s long-time assistant, Steve Kinder, will take over for him beginning next year.
Saturday's game is also Senior Night at Acker Gym, as the Wildcats pay tribute to the team's four seniors who will be playing their final regular season home game. Nick Lonnegren, Jon Baird, Darren Nye, and Brian Seals will be honored in a special pre-game ceremony.
Tipoff for both Friday’s tilt against Sonoma State and Saturday’s game versus Humboldt State are slated for 5:30 p.m. Follow all the action with Mike Wessels providing the play-by-play live on ESPN 101.7 FM and 1340 AM locally, or on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website.
