BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Life has had a familiar ring to it the last two days in Bellingham, Wash., for the Chico State men’s basketball team. The Wildcats are in Bellingham for the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional for the second straight season. They are set to face Cal Poly Pomona for the fourth time this season in the opening round Friday at 2:30 p.m. And for the second year in a row, they open the NCAA Championship Tournament against the team that beat them in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title game.
They’re hoping for a familiar result Friday as well. The Wildcats avenged that loss by beating Humboldt State last season, netting the program’s first NCAA Championship Tournament win in 54 years.
It won’t be easy, however. Cal Poly Pomona enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the West and ranked No. 5 in the nation at 27-2 overall. The Broncos have beaten the Wildcats three times this season.
The NCAA Championship Committee awarded the Wildcats the No. 7 seed in the West following a 19-10 regular season in which they finished third in the CCAA and advanced to their second straight CCAA Championship Tournament final.
The 5th-ranked Broncos swept the regular-season series against Chico State, coming from five down with 3:39 to play to beat the Wildcats 64-61 on Nov. 30 and then overcoming Rashad Parker’s career-high 30 points to beat Chico State 89-76 in Pomona on Feb. 2.
The Broncos, who boast the toughest defense in the nation in points allowed per game (55.8) , used a suffocating stretch in which they allowed Chico State to score 11 points in the final 11 minutes of the first half of Saturday’s CCAA Championship Tournament final to key a 78-64 win.
Chico State is making its 10th NCAA Championship Tournament appearance and coming of its first NCAA Tournament victory in 54 years – a 75-68 win against Humboldt State – in last year’s first round.
The Chico State-Cal Poly Pomona winner will face the winner of Friday’s first game – No. 3 Seattle Pacific vs. No. 6 Grand Canyon – Monday at 2:30 p.m.
On the other half of the bracket, top seed and defending NCAA Champion Western Washington, which came from five points down to beat the Wildcats in the second round last season, faces Chaminade at 7:30. No. 4 Dixie State takes on No. 5 Cal State San Bernardino at 5 p.m.
The winner of the NCAA Championship Tournnament West Regional will advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight March 28 & 30 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky.
NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional – Sam Carver Gymnasium – Bellingham, Wash.
March 15 (Fri.)
Game #1 - No.3 Seattle Pacific (25-3) vs. No.6 Grand Canyon (23-7) – 12 noon
Game #2 - No.2 Cal Poly Pomona (27-2) vs. No.7 Chico State (19-10) - 2:30 p.m.
Game #3 - No.4 Dixie State (22-6) vs. No.5 Cal State San Bernardino (19-8) – 5 p.m.
Game #4 - No.1 seed Western Washington (27-2) vs. No.8 Chaminade (20-9 ) - 7:30 p.m.
March 18 (Mon.)
Game #5 - Winner Game #1 vs. Winner Game #2 – 2:30 p.m.
Game #6 - Winner Game #3 vs. Winner Game #4 – 7:30 p.m.
March 19 (Tue.)
Game #7 - Winner Game #5 vs. Winner Game #6 – 8:30 p.m.
Home team is highest seed in each game
NCAA DIVISION II ELITE EIGHT
March 28 and 30 (Thu., Sat.)
at Louisville, KY (Freedom Hall)
Host Bellarmine University
NCAA DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP
April 7, 2013
Atlanta, Ga. (Philips Arena)
