In perhaps their most impressive victory under fourth-year Head Coach Greg Clink, the Chico State men’s basketball team led by double figures for the final 27-plus minutes of the game in a 75-55 win against Cal Poly Pomona that left the Wildcats and Broncos among five teams tied for first place atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with just seven left to play.
Damario Sims scored 15 points, Sean Park 13, Jay Flores 12, and Amir Carraway 11 for the Wildcats, who improved to 16-5 overall and 10-5 in the CCAA with their third straight home win against Cal Poly Pomona.
PHOTO GALLERY OF THE GAME
The Wildcats outrebounded the Broncos 38-26, allowing just three offensive boards and two second-chance points. They moved the ball crisply against the vaunted Broncos zone, notching assists on 16 of their 23 baskets, while committing just nine turnovers.
That contrasted sharply with the first meeting between these teams when the Wildcats absorbed their most lopsided loss of the season, 64-50. Friday night, they lead 43-26 at the half and had 51 points four minutes into the second half.
Cal Poly Pomona (13-5, 10-5 CCAA) entered the night averaging 65.9 points per game, but Chico State has not allowed an opponent to reach its season scoring average yet this season. Mitchell Anderson scored 15 points and Terrence Drisdom 14. DeRonn Scott added 11, but the Broncos absorbed their most lopsided loss since the ninth game of last season.
The game was billed as a matchup between two of the top defenses in the nation. Cal Poly Pomona entered the game ranked second in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 56.8 points per game. Chico State was eighth at 59.2 points per game.
But the Wildcats went on a 16-2 run spanning just 2:48 of the first half to turn a tenuous lead into a 38-18 advantage and never looked back. Sims started the run by sticking consecutive 3s and assisted on Carraway’s. Sean Park made a pair of free throws, Mike Rosaroso scored an acrobatic layup, and then Park set up Carraway for another three.
Cal Poly Pomona closed the gap to 13 on a pair of occasions in the second half. But the second time, Terrence Drisdom was called for a technical foul, Jay Flores made both free throws and then Carraway set up Jason Conrad for a two-handed slam that, just like that, stretched the lead back out to 17.
Already leading by 16 with just over six minutes left, Sims hit a 3-pointer and Park a jumper to make it 71-50, ended any comeback hopes the Broncos had.
The Wildcats’ 16th win matches the most by a Clink-led team with seven still to play.
Chico State, now 10-2 at home this season and winners of nine of its last 11 overall, hosts San Francisco State Saturday. Cal Poly Pomona will play at Cal State Stanislaus. In other games featuring teams tied for first in the CCAA Saturday night: Cal State L.A. is at Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Dominguez Hills is at UC San Diego, and Humboldt State is hosting Cal State Monterey Bay.
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