CARSON – R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The Chico State men’s basketball team found out what it means to them throughout the 2010-11 campaign. Tuesday night’s season-ending 75-59 loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills was no exception. With 30 wins, including a number of big upsets over the past two years, the message has come loud and clear that the Wildcats plan to be a force to be reckoned with in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) for many years to come. Thus the Wildcats didn’t sneak up on anyone this season, and especially not the Toros, whose last season came to an end almost exactly one year ago in a shocking CCAA Championship Tournament opening-round upset at the hands of the Wildcats.

Ironically, the Wildcats’ newfound respect may have cost them a chance to win Tuesday night. A year ago, the supremely confident Toros likely looked past the upstart Wildcats toward a possible CCAA Championship Tournament title and NCAA Championship Tournament berth. Nobody looked past the Wildcats this season. Especially not the Toros.

If that wasn’t obvious before the game, it was not long after the tip went up. Cal State Dominguez Hills raced to a 22-8 lead, and when the Wildcats threatened to get back into the game by cutting the deficit to seven with 12:48 to play, the Toros responded with a 12-1 run to salt the game away.

Perhaps no picture displayed just how far the Wildcats have come under Clink’s guidance than the one that followed the final horn. Hugs are not given flippantly in a tough town like Carson. But solemn Chico State seniors Roderick Hawkins, Terence Pellum, Zach Graves and even junior Jay Flores found themselves swept up in the understanding arms of the Toros players and Head Coach Demaine Powell well after the fans began to file out of the Torodome.

Hawkins went out with a bang, scoring 15 of his game-high 19 points after the break. The fourth-year senior playing in the 109th and final game of his career also grabbed six rebounds, dished out three assists and recorded a steal. He walks away as one of only three players in Chico State history with more than 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

Pellum also played well, finishing with 12 points, a game-high eight rebounds, two assists and a steal. He wraps up his career with the fourth most blocked shots in Chico State history (60).

Graves grabbed three boards and two steals to go along with his two points and an assist.

Flores finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. But he and backcourt mate Damario Sims combined to shoot just 6-for-26, including 2-for-14 from 3-point range.

Perhaps hurt and stung by the playoff loss that ended their season last year, the senior-laden Toros played an outstanding game to make sure that it didn’t happen again.

They went on a 10-2 run after the Wildcats grabbed a quick 4-2 lead. Graves’ layup drew the Wildcats within 12-8 six minutes into the game, but the Wildcats didn’t make another shot for nearly seven minutes to fall behind 22-10.

Sean Park, who played only 12 minutes before fouling out, hit a jumper and a 3-pointer to keep it close, but then the Toros tore off 12 points over the next three minutes to stretch the lead to 15. A pair of Hawkins free throws and Rashad Parker’s 3-pointer cut the lead to 10 by the half.

The Wildcats got as close as seven early in the second half on a Park jump shot, but trailed 49-36 with 14 minutes left. That’s when Hawkins tried to make it interesting. Flores found him for a 3-pointer and then he hit a runner in the lane, got fouled, and sunk the free throw to cut the lead to 49-42 with 12:48 to play.

The Toros were not to be denied this time, however. They scored three buckets and flushed six-of-six free throws over their next six possessions as their lead ballooned to 61-43.

The Wildcats had one last breath, a 9-0 run behind two buckets apiece from Pellum and Flores, but Michael Cox’s deflating tip dunk on the Toros’ next possession got the lead back into double figures for good.

Clink didn’t want to get on his knee so soon, but with 1:14 left and time ticking down on his team’s season, he knelt before seniors Roderick Hawkins, Terence Pellum and Zach Graves, looked directly at them, and spoke. Only they know what he said. But if it went something like “I’m so proud of you guys. What you’ve given to our program will never be forgotten,” those who have followed their careers would certainly concur.

BOX SCORE

2011 CCAA Basketball Championships
Pioneer Gymnasium, Hayward, Calif.
March 1-5, 2011

March 1 (Tue) – At Campus Sites
No. 1 Humboldt State 68, No. 8 Cal State Stanislaus 54
No. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills 75, No. 7 Chico State 59
No. 6 Cal State L.A. 66, No. 3 Cal State San Bernardino 60
No. 5 Cal Poly Pomona 69, No. 4 San Francisco State 66

March 4 (Fri) - Hayward
No. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills vs. No. 5 Cal Poly Pomona; 12:30 p.m.
No. 1 Humboldt State vs. No. 6 Cal State L.A.; 3:00 p.m.

March 5 (Sat) - Hayward
Semifinal winners - 5:00 p.m.