Box Score TURLOCK – The Chico State men’s basketball team couldn’t exactly ask Santa for revenge for Christmas. So instead they went to work over winter break to make the necessary adjustments for their rematch with Cal State Stanislaus and rang the Warriors’ bell 86-48 Saturday in Turlock, putting a bow on the 2012 portion of their schedule.
The win came just 23 days after Chico State suffered a disappointing defeat at home against the Warriors on Sam Marcus’ buzzer beater. Saturday’s game was nothing like that back-and-forth affair and the many that came before in what had become a nip-and-tuck rivalry over the past few seasons. They raced to an early 32-11 lead and were never really threatened after that. They led by 30-plus points for much of the second half.
Chico State defense, ranked fourth in the nation in points allowed entering the contest, limited Marcus – who torched them for 18 second-half points in their last meeting – to just eight points. They did so by keeping the pesky point guard out of the paint for much of the night, something they were unable to do just three weeks ago.
Chico State improved to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) while snapping Cal State Stanislaus’ three-game winning streak. The Warriors fell to 4-4 overall and 1-3 in the CCAA.
The win was the Wildcats’ most lopsided since joining the CCAA and their most lopsided on the road since an 88-39 win at Simpson in the 1998-99 season opener.
Rashad Paker led five Wildcats in double figures with a career-high 15 points and dished out four assists. Damario Sims scored 13 points and recorded five assists. He knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, the first of which was the 150th of his career, making him the fifth player in Chico State history to reach that milestone. Sean Park, Jason Conrad and Jordan Semple scored 10 points apiece. Amir Carraway contributed nine points and Drew Kitchens seven.
The Warriors were averaging 77 points per game entering the contest but the Wildcats held them to just 31-percent shooting. Chico State also outrebounded the Warriors 42-27.
Parker scored 12 points during a 62-second spurt that pushed Chico State’s lead to 13-4 in the early going. He knocked down a career-high four 3-pointers in six attempts. Kitchens scored the first five points in an 8-0 run that made it 32-11 with 8:40 to play in the half.
Cal State Stanislaus took advantage of a five-minute Chico State scoring drought to trim the lead to 34-21, but the Wildcats went to the half leading 39-23. A 9-0 run sparked by a pair of Jordan Semple buckets at the basket and capped by Sims’ 3-pointer stretched the lead to 60-33 with 12:05 left. A nine-minute span in which the Wildcats held the Warriors to just two made field goals followed soon after, wrapping up the Wildcats’ win.
Chico State is back in action at home next weekend. The Wildcats host Sonoma State Friday night and San Francisco State Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip at approximately 7:30.
