The Chico State men’s basketball team is finally back home Monday night and revenge against Cal State Stanislaus would certainly be sweet. After playing seven straight road games in the month of December, the Wildcats will tip it up in Acker Gym for the first time in 40 days at 7:30 against a Warriors team that beat them 79-77 in overtime in Turlock on Dec. 7.
The game will be broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290-AM KPAY and can also be accessed on line
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Chico State brings an overall record of 8-3 into the contest, but the Wildcats are 2-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), having played their first five CCAA contests on the road.
The most frustrating of those three losses came at Cal State Stanislaus. The Warriors’ Brett Sayad tipped in a missed shot with two seconds remaining in overtime to win it. But a myriad of missed shots is what put the Wildcats in that position in the first place. They missed 30 of 37 3-pointers on the night and three of four free throws in overtime. Damario Sims also missed the first of two free throws with seven seconds left in regulation that would have given the Wildcats the lead.
The game was not without its bright spots for the Wildcats, however. Amir Carraway contributed then-career highs with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Sam Hicks and Jordan Semple scored 13 points apiece off the bench. Hicks blocked a pair of shots and Semple chipped in 10 boards.
Semple’s old fashioned three-point play off an offensive rebound gave the Wildcats a 66-65 lead with 22 second remaining in regulation, but the Warriors’ Reggie Jones went to the line after being fouled off the ball and made both to put the hosts back up by one with 13 seconds left.
Sims’ 3-pointer with 3:30 left in overtime, one of just four of 17 shots the junior made, put the Wildcats ahead 70-67. The Wildcats could not make the advantage grow, however, and the lead changed hands five times over the next two minutes.
Carraway’s offensive rebound and put back tied the game at 77-apiece with 22 seconds left, but 22 seconds later, the Warriors were celebrating the end of a three-game losing streak against Chico State.
Chico State’s Josh Jackson did a great job defending the Warriors’ Vince Fuller, who asked his team to clear out so he could go one-on-one. But Fuller was forced to settle for a double-pump leaner that didn’t even draw iron. The Wildcats wish it had. Sayad grabbed the errant shot it as it caromed off the glass and then guided it home for the win.
Ironically, the Wildcats surrendered just three offensive rebounds before Sayad’s game winner.
Reggie Jones led Cal State Stanislaus with 25 points. He made 12 of 14 free throws and the Warriors were 27-of-31 as a team from the charity stripe. Jones leads the Warriors (7-2, 3-2 CCAA) in scoring at 19.2 points per game.
Carraway is coming off a huge performance in the Wildcats’ 67-49 win at Pacifica on Thursday. The sophomore finished with 18 points and career highs of 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. Sean Park has also been hot of late, averaging 19 points over his past two games. Sims, Park and Carraway lead the Wildcats in scoring at 11 points per game.
Monday will mark the first of three games next week in Acker Gym, where the Wildcats will play five in a row and nine of their next 11. The Wildcats host Cal State San Bernardino on Friday and UC San Diego Saturday. They’ll also be at home on Jan. 13-14, 27-28, and Feb. 3-4. Then, after two weekends in a row on the road, they’ll wrap up the regular season at home on Feb. 23-24.
