SAN BERNARDINO – Jay Flores won’t say he’s a great basketball player. Well, on behalf of all the Chico State basketball fans out there, let me say it: Jay Flores is a great basketball player. The Wildcats’ revered leader let his talent do the talking it in their 73-58 clubbing of conference co-leader Cal State San Bernardino Saturday night at Coussoulis Arena.
Flores scored a career high 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting (including 5-of-6 from 3-point range), delivered five assists, and turned the ball over just once in 38 minutes as the Wildcats won for just the third time ever in San Bernardino and completed a season sweep of the Coyotes with their largest margin of victory in the history of the series.
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“I feel like there’s something to be said about hard work,” said the understated Flores, who recently earned Academic All-Region honors and is well on his way to All-Region accolades on the court as well (if anyone with half a brain is paying attention). “I’m not saying I’m a great player. But I would put my work ethic up against anyone else in this conference. I feel like guys are picking up on that.”
Flores’ teammates followed their leader Saturday night. The Wildcats scored the game’s first nine points, led by 14 eight minutes into the game, and led by as many as 24 on two different occasions. Chico State, which is now among three teams tied for first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with four to play, led by 14 or more for the final 28:12 of the game.
Wildcats Head Coach Greg Clink, whose team is now 19-5 overall and 13-5 in the CCAA after winning five straight and 12 of its last 14 games had this to say:
“We just played so well coming out of the gate. I was pleasantly surprised with how smooth we were,” said Wildcats Head Coach Greg Clink, whose team is now 19-5 overall and 13-5 in the CCAA. “We knew if we could execute offensively and take it deep in the shot clock things were going to open up for us.”
Flores credited the team’s defense.
“Last time we gave them problems with our zone. This time we got them with our man.”
The Wildcats have now held San Bernardino to two of its four lowest scoring outputs of the season (56 and 58 points). The Coyotes have averaged 68.4 points per game on 43-percent shooting against the rest of their opponents this season versus just 57 points on 37-percent shooting against the Wildcats.
Flores, manned up on Coyotes leading scorer Tre Brewer, helped hold him scoreless in the first half and to two points in the game. The Wildcats big men held second-leading scorer Theron Laudermill scoreless in the first half as well while building a 43-22 lead. Chico State entered the fray with the eighth best scoring defense in the nation at 58.6 points per game and improved on that number Saturday night.
Sean Park provided 14 points and the freshman duo of Jordan Barton and Jordan Semple supplied a combined 17 points, nine boards, two blocks and a steal. Josh Jackson, the Wildcats’ defensive stopper, snagged a pair of steals and scored six points to give them a lift off the bench as well.
Those who have followed the Wildcats basketball program closely over the years know it’s no coincidence that the last time a Chico State team won as many as 19 games was back in 1993, Clink’s final season in a Chico State uniform. It was a season in which he was named the team’s Most Inspirational Player.
Flores will likely make sure that one of his lesser-praised teammates wins that award this season. But there is perhaps no one in the school’s history that’s provided as much inspiration as him.
Clink and Flores arrived at Chico State in the summer of 2008. Together they’ve instilled a culture of competitiveness, excellence on the court and in the classroom (The Wildcats won the University’s award given to the men’s athletic program with the highest GPA last year.), and a commitment to defense.
As they head down the stretch almost four years later, the results have been special in terms of wins and losses and they way they represent Chico State University.
When Mike Baca, the voice of the Wildcats on AM 1290 KPAY, asked Flores about his career-high point total, Flores again defused praise.
“Today I stepped up and knocked down some shots. But it’s somebody else every night.”
Moments later, before handing the headset to Clink, Flores finished the interview by saying: “Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.”
No Jay. Thank you.
GAME NOTES – The Wildcats are tied with Humboldt State and Cal Poly Pomona atop the conference standings. They finish the regular season with games at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. next weekend and at home against Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay Feb. 23-24. Humboldt State is at San Francisco State and Cal Poly Pomona next weekend and hosts UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino the week after that. Cal Poly Pomona is home against Sonoma State and Humboldt State next weekend and Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills the week after that…Saturday’s win was just Chico State’s third in 15 tries at San Bernardino…By beating UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino this weekend, the Wildcats got their first SoCal weekend sweep since January of 2006 and just their fifth ever…The season sweep of the Coyotes was Chico State’s second ever. They also did it in 2005…Chico State is now 5-1 this season against Cal State San Bernardino, Humboldt State and Cal Poly Pomona, teams that have combined to win the last five and nine of the last 10 conference crowns…The highest the Wildcats have ever finished in the conference standings is third (2002-03 and 2004-05)…Flores’ five 3-pointers moved him past Justin Argenal into sixth on the Wildcats’ career list with 139…His 22 points are the second most scored by a Wildcat this season…The team’s eight road wins are its most since the 1992-93 finished 8-3 on the road.
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