CHICO – There may not be two more challenging consecutive days in Division II basketball in the nation. Thankfully, this year’s version of the Chico State men’s basketball team has been quick to rise to challenges. When the Wildcats travel to face third-place Cal Poly Pomona and first-place Cal State San Bernardino Friday and Saturday, respectively, they have an opportunity to prove to the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and themselves that they are in the battle for one of the top four spots in the CCAA for the long haul. Tipoff for both games is set for 7:30.
Chico State enters the weekend 11-7 overall and 7-6 in the CCAA, good for fifth place in the conference standings. The top four teams at the end of the regular season earn the right to host a first-round CCAA Championship Tournament game. The top eight advance to the CCAA Championship Tournament, the winner of which earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament. The Wildcats have not been to the postseason since the 2004-05 season, and they haven’t hosted a postseason game since the 1993 Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC) Shaughnessy Playoffs.
A pair of wins this weekend could push the Wildcats past fourth-place Cal State Dominguez Hills (9-5 CCAA) and into the upper tier of the conference. With two losses, however, the Wildcats could suddenly be in jeopardy of dropping out of the top eight. Cal Poly Pomona is alone in third place in the CCAA at 10-4, just one game behind Cal State San Bernardino and Humboldt State, tied for first place at 11-3.
Follow all the action with Mike Baca providing the play-by-play live on ESPN 101.7 FM and 1340 AM locally or on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics Website.
The Wildcats lost to Cal State San Bernardino 85-74 at home back on Jan. 2 despite Jay Flores’ career-high 21 points. Flores’ teammates made just 17-of-52 shots (.327) in the battle for first place. Jon Baird scored 14 points and Terence Pellum and Damario Sims chipped in 11 apiece. Aaron Hill led the Coyotes with 16 points, Lawrence Tyson added 15, and Corey Caston and Steven Gaston scored 11 points each. The Wildcats limited the Coyotes’ leading scorer and rebounder, Bryan LeDuc, to nine points and seven boards and actually matched them on the boards at 32-apiece.
They’ve won just six times in 27 meetings all-time against San Bernardino, including just twice in 12 tries in San Bernardino. They lost the first seven times they played in Coussoulis Arena but won 107-105 in overtime during the 2004-05 season (a win that Puck Smith called the greatest of his career), coming from 15 down with 2:24 to play to do so. They won again two years ago in perhaps more improbable fashion. Cal State San Bernardino was in first place in the CCAA and ranked 18th in the nation. The Wildcats were in last place and riding an 11-game losing streak. But Chico State won 63-60 behind the clutch down-the-stretch play of Ryan Smith and Andrew Ferrin, among others.
The night after losing to San Bernardino, they rebounded the following night with a thrilling 72-70 overtime victory against Cal Poly Pomona. The Wildcats scored just 17 first-half points, but rallied from 14 points down with 3:44 to play, and then survived game-winning and game-tying shot attempts in the final four seconds of overtime for a mind-boggling victory over the then 14th-ranked Broncos. Zach Graves’ driving layup with 19 seconds remaining sent the game into overtime and his free throw with 35 seconds remaining in the extra period gave Chico State the lead for good. Graves was one of Chico State’s many heroes that day. Jon Baird sank six of his career-high-matching seven 3-pointers in the second half and led all scorers. Jay Flores made five of his six shots in the second half and overtime, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, and scored 18 points, the second most in his collegiate career.
Chico State trails the all-time series against Cal Poly Pomona 19-15, and prior to the win earlier this season, had lost six of the last seven meetings between the teams. The Wildcats beat the Broncos 55-47 last season in Pomona as Nick Lonnegren had one of his best games as a Wildcat with 13 points and five rebounds. The Wildcats have won four of their last nine games in Pomona.
The Wildcats will play five straight at home following this weekend’s slate, beginning Tuesday night against Cal State Stanislaus. Cal State East Bay and UC San Diego will be in town Feb. 12-13, and Sonoma State and Humboldt State visit Acker Gym Feb. 19-20. The Wildcats will then wrap up the regular season at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. Feb. 25-26.
