The Chico State men’s basketball team will board a plane for the first time this season Thursday hoping they can rise up the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings during their first multi-game road trip of the season.

The Wildcats, who face UC San Diego Friday at 7:30 and Cal State San Bernardino Saturday at 7:30, are currently tied for third in the CCAA, one game behind Cal Poly Pomona and two back of Cal State San Bernardino.

Chico State, 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the CCAA, enters the weekend on a four-game win streak during which they’ve outscored the opposition by more than 26 points per game. UC San Diego is just 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the CCAA, but coming off a weekend in which it lost by just one to 6th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona before beating Humboldt State. Cal State San Bernardino beat Humboldt State and Cal Poly Pomona last weekend to stretch its win streak to eight games. The Coyotes are 8-1 overall, 6-0 in the CCAA, and ranked No. 15 in the nation.

The conference standings won’t be the only thing to keep an eye on this weekend. Chico State senior Damario Sims’ quest for 1,000 career points will also be a focus. He needs just seven more to become the 12th player in the program’s history to reach that milestone.

Last weekend Sims dished out his 200th career assist. If he reaches 1,000 points as well, he’ll join Deon Robinson (1997-01) as the only Wildcats who’ve accomplished both.

When the ball goes up Friday in La Jolla, Sims will be playing in his 100th career game. But he’s not the only Wildcat making history this season.

• Jason Conrad passed former teammate Terence Pellum to move into for fourth on the school’s career rejections list last weekend with 61. He’s one behind third-place Jeff Carter and 28 shy of Ben Perak’s school record of 89.
• With his 50th career make last weekend, sharpshooter James Staniland makes his debut on the school’s career 3-point percentage list at the very top. He’s shooting .477 from beyond the arc in his career (51-for-107). Todd Testerman, who shot .472 from distance from 1998-2000, ranks 2nd.
• Amir Carraway’s career free throw percentage of .794 (127-for-160) ranks 8th in school history.
• Sims is currently tied with long-time teammate Jay Flores four fourth on the school’s career made 3-pointers list with 153. Jon Baird is third with 165.
• With 207 career assists, Sims is six helpers shy of tying Frank Lopez for 10th in school history.

The Wildcats’ sweep of the same road trip last season was one of the keys to their CCAA title. It was their first two-win Southern California road weekend since 2006 and just their fifth in 31 such trips since Chico State joined the CCAA.

Ironically, they’ll try to do it again next weekend when they return south to face Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. during this stretch of eight of 10 on the road.

Fans can catch the game locally on AM 1290 KPAY or streaming online via the Wildcat Webcast link on our homepage (www.chicowildcats.com).