Sometimes you have to get the monkey off your back to get the monkey off your back, if you know what I mean. If you don’t, Jay Flores provided quite an example in the Chico State men’s basketball team’s 63-56 win against Cal State San Bernardino Friday night at Acker Gym. Flores, mired in a terrible shooting slump, shot the lights out (removing monkey number one) to lead the Wildcats to something only one man on the team had ever experienced before – a victory over the Coyotes (say goodbye to monkey number two).
Flores, just 2-of-18 from beyond the arc in his prior six games, buried 3-of-4 treys on the way to a game-high 15 points. The Coyotes trailed by as many as 15, but cut the lead to 56-54 with 1:34 remaining before Flores furnished the “dagger” with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer to snap the Wildcats’ six-game losing streak against Cal State San Bernardino.
Only fifth-year senior Josh Jackson was on the team the last time Chico State beat Cal State San Bernardino back in 2008.
“It definitely feels good to mark that off the list,” said Flores, who made 2-of-2 field goals (including his lone 3-point attempt) and 4-of-4 free throws on the way to nine second-half points. “It’s definitely a big win for our program.”
At 10-3, the Wildcats boast the program’s best record through 13 games since the 1942-43 team’s 11-2 start. And the Wildcats are off to a 6-0 start at home for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign.
And at 4-3 in a tightly bunched California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), the Wildcats are in a tie for sixth place, but just one game out of a tie for second.
Cal State San Bernardino fell to 6-4 overall and into a three-way tie for second at 5-2 in the CCAA.
“Tonight was big, but we’ve got to go out and win another big game tomorrow night,” said Flores.
If Flores and the Wildcats play like they did Friday against UC San Diego (5-7, 1-6 CCAA) on Saturday, they’ll give themselves a good chance.
Chico State built a 15-point halftime lead behind a suffocating zone defense sizzling shooting. They held the Coyotes to just 9-of-25 shooting, including five fruitless 3-point attempts. Jason Conrad and Jordan Semple blocked two shots apiece in the half, quieting the inside duo of Theron Laudermill and Kwame Alexander, who combined for nine of the Coyotes’ first 11 points but made just one basket over the last 16 minutes of the half.
Conrad blocked Laudermill on consecutive possessions with the Wildcats leading by two. The seven-footer then dunked home an offensive rebound and followed that up with a steal that led to Damario Sims’ layin, starting a 13-0 run to end the half.
Flores and James Staniland both went 2-of-3 from beyond the arc before intermission. Staniland came off bench to drill threes on consecutive possessions; that doubled the lead from six to 12 and helped the Wildcats go to the half ahead 36-21.
The Coyotes methodically closed the gap by getting five 3-pointers from Tre Brewer and Matt Wallace in the second half and hitting 8-of-10 free throws. A five-plus minute drought in which the Wildcats failed to make a field goal (they did make three free throws) gave Cal State San Bernardino its biggest window of opportunity. And when Alexander dunked home a miss with 1:34 left, the lead was cut to two.
But then came the whistle.
Alexander was called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim and Flores flushed both free throws to make it a four-point game again. Flores then hit the “dagger,” a long 3-pointer with 1:07 left that stretched the Wildcats’ lead to 61-54.
Cal State San Bernardino failed to make another shot and the Wildcats were winners, surprising some, though no one in their locker room.
“We’re at the point now where we expect to win,” said the senior who moved past assistant coach Tim Haley into fourth place on the school’s career assist list Friday. “We feel like if we play the way we can we can beat any team in this league.”
With wins over perennial conference powers Cal State San Bernardino and Humboldt State (combined winners of five CCAA titles in the last five years) on their resume this season, the Wildcats are backing up the talk.
Sean Park finished with 10 points for the Wildcats, Amir Carraway nine, and Sims seven to go along with six rebounds, two assists and a steal. Conrad, Staniland and Semple scored six apiece.
Saturday night’s game is scheduled to tipoff at 7:30 following the women’s game.
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