Box Score SAN FRANCISCO – Chico State’s men’s basketball players must think Willie Nelson is nuts. Can’t wait to get back on the road? The Wildcats can’t wait to get off of it. They dropped their fifth straight away from home Friday night at San Francisco State, 63-59.
Jordan Semple came off the bench to hit some huge shots for the Wildcats and finished with a team-high 15 points in 26 minutes. But the Wildcats’ starters suffered a collective shooting funk that proved too debilitating to overcome.
Damario Sims, Rashad Parker, Amir Carraway, Sean Park and Jason Conrad shot a combined 27 percent (12-of-44) as the Wildcats fell to 10-9 overall and 7-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with their sixth loss in the last nine games.
San Francisco State, which the Wildcats hammered 72-50 in Chico prior to the aforementioned nasty nine-game stretch, improved to 12-7 overall and 10-5 in the CCAA.
Sims’ night was mostly forgettable. The senior hit just 3-of-12 shots and turned it over five times. But he also moved into sole possession of third place on Chico State’s career 3-pointer list with his 166th. He also moved past Chico White (1979-82) into ninth on the career assists list. His three Friday night brought his career total to 236.
Parker, the team’s leading scorer, managed just eight Friday night, but he also pulled down a team and career-high eight rebounds. Carraway contributed 11 points and a pair of blocked shots.
The Wildcats led three times Friday night. Each time the Gators grabbed the lead right back.
San Francisco State sprinted to a 10-1 advantage only to see the Wildcats respond with a 13-2 counter capped by Jordan Barton’s tip-in that put Chico State ahead 14-12.
Fifty-eight seconds later Calvin Otiono tickled the twine with a 3-ball that put San Francisco State back ahead.
Park’s three-point play the hard way gave the Wildcats a 29-28 edge with 3:56 left in the first half. But William Overton Jr. jolted the Gators into a 10-0 run with a 3-pointer and they went to the half ahead 38-29.
Semple’s offensive rebound and put-back capped a 7-0 surge that put Chico State ahead 52-50 with 6:47 to play. That marked the end of a 23-11 run that erased a 10-point deficit. But Brandon Tatum answered with a jumper 20 seconds later to tie the game and start a 7-0 San Francisco State surge.
Still, the Wildcats almost came back again. Conrad’s put-back dunk made it a two-point game with 2:59 to play, but Sims missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game on the Wildcats next possession.
Semple sank a 3-pointer with 1:42 remaining to close the gap to two, but Conrad’s jumper was off the mark with 47 seconds left.
San Francisco State’s Brandon Tatum put the game away with a bank shot in the lane with nine seconds left.
Chico State will attempt to stop the bleeding Saturday night at Sonoma State. Game time is scheduled for 7:30.
