Box Score Your average Chico State men’s basketball fan following Thursday night’s game: “Sam I am… stunned.”
The Wildcats were helpless to stop Cal State Stanislaus’ Sam Marcus down the stretch. The jittery 5-foot-8 junior scored 16 of the Warriors’ final 23 points, capped by his right-handed runner in the lane as time expired giving Cal State Stanislaus its first win in Chico in four years, 68-66.
Chico State led by four with 2:22 to play before Ray Mitchell made a layup and Marcus capped a 6-0 Stanislaus run with consecutive layups that put the Warriors ahead with 22 seconds to play. Sean Park drew a foul with 11 seconds left and knocked down two free throws to tie it. But Marcus’ bucket marked the game’s 12th and final lead change.
Park paced the Wildcats with 17 points and Rashad Parker scored 13. Jason Conrad collected 11 points and nine rebounds in Chico State’s third loss in the past four games. The Wildcats fell to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
Cal State Stanislaus improved to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the CCAA.
Marcus finished with 22 points, 16 of which came in the final 10:08. Cal State Stanislaus outscored the Wildcats 23-13 during that stretch.
He hit two free throws with 6:24 remaining to tie the game at 56-apiece. But Park provided the answer with a 3-pointer. Marcus and the Warriors kept coming, however, and his layup with 3:28 remaining gave Cal State Stanislaus its first lead of the second half at 60-59.
Parker’s 3-pointer and Conrad’s jumper from the top of the key put the Wildcats back ahead 64-60, but they wouldn’t make another field goal or get a single stop in the game’s final 2:22.
Meanwhile, Mitchell made a layup with 2:05 left and Marcus tied the game 64-64 with 1:05 to play, tying the game.
After shaking his defender with a nice ball fake, Parker attempted to put the Wildcats back ahead with a three from the top of the key, but the Warriors’ Marcus Walters recovered quickly and blocked the shot from behind.
It fell into the hands of Nick Hodge, and the Warriors ran the clock down before Marcus got to the rim for a layup with 23 seconds left.
Chico State nursed a small lead for the first five minutes of the second half before Clinton Tremelling’s 3-pointer tied the game 45-45. The Wildcats answered with an 8-0 run sparked by five points from Park. But Marcus took over from there.
Chico State hosts Simpson Friday, Dec. 14 in a non-conference game before heading out on the road for a rematch with the Warriors on Dec. 29.
