POMONA – The Chico State basketball team pulled off a thrilling come-from-behind win against Cal Poly Pomona earlier this season, rallying from 14 points down with 3:44 to play. The Wildcats came back against Cal Poly Pomona again Friday night. They did it twice in fact. Alas they left the Broncos too much time to respond. The Wildcats rallied from 10 points down in the first half to take a lead and then cut another double-digit lead to one before eventually succumbing to the defending national finalists 69-61.

Terence Pellum’s layup capped a 15-6 run to draw the Wildcats to within 60-59 with 3:58 to play. But Cal Poly Pomona converted on its next two possessions to retake control of the game. Roderick Hawkins scored a layup with 1:48 left to keep Chico State within striking distance, but the Broncos scored on their next three trips to put the game away.

Chico State fell to 11-8 overall and 7-7 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association with its sixth loss in the last eight games. Cal Poly Pomona, which has now won sixth straight, improved to 13-5 overall and 11-4 in the CCAA.

Jon Baird and Pellum scored 12 points apiece, Sims came off the bench to score nine, and Jay Flores, Hawkins, and Zach Graves chipped in eight each.

The Wildcats’ comeback late in the game followed a 21-6 run that bridged the end of the first half and beginning of the second. Cal Poly Pomona led 30-20 with three minutes left in the first half. Chico State cut it to 30-28 with Damario Sims’ jumper and 3-pointers by Sims and Jon Baird before the halftime buzzer.

An 11-0 run during the early moments of the second half staked the Wildcats to a 41-36 lead with 16 minutes to play. A pair of Baird treys keyed the run.

But Cal Poly Pomona, a veteran team that advanced all the way to the National Championship game last season and has been ranked among the nation’s Top 25 for much of this season, found a way to win at home. The Broncos, who shot 58 percent for the game, made 15 of their 22 shots after the Wildcats took that lead.

BOX SCORE

The Wildcats will continue what is without a doubt the toughest weekend road trip on the CCAA schedule with a game at CCAA-leader Cal State San Bernardino Saturday night at 7:30. They’ll follow that game with five straight at home 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.