Box Score When Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen opened in Chico recently, the drive-thru lines consistently snaked around the building and onto Mangrove Avenue. Buckets were even harder to come by for the Cal State L.A. basketball team in Chico State's 75-46 win Saturday night in Acker Gym.
The Wildcats limited the Golden Eagles to just 13 made field goals on 22 percent shooting while forcing 20 turnovers. Jordan Barton blocked three shots early, setting the tone for what would lead to a season-low scoring output for a Cal State L.A. squad averaging more than 72 points per game.
Rashad Parker finished with a career-high six steals – the most by a Wildcat in the Greg Clink era – and Amir Carraway had three.
Chico State turned those 20 turnovers into 22 points in improving to 10-2 overall and moving into a tie for third place with Cal State L.A. in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings at 6-2.
Parker, Sean Park and Jordan Semple scored 14 points apiece in the Wildcats' 16th straight home victory. Parker also had five assists and four rebounds to go alone with his half-dozen steals. Park pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Carraway finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, a block and three thefts.
Barton blocked three attempts in the first 10 minutes of the game, Carraway sent another shot flying, and by the time Semple smacked a jump shot into the second row with 7:26 to play in the first half, the Wildcats led 21-11. It all added up to a clear message that the rim would not be an easy place to arrive at for the Golden Eagles' attacking offense.
Nearly every Cal State L.A. drive was cut off. And even when the Golden Eagles got a look, it was rarely without a hand in the face.
The dominating defense often led to offense for the Wildcats, who used a 10-0 run early in the second half to break the game open. Parker picked the pocket of CCAA scoring leader Quinton Watkins, went the other way, and then found Park for the three-point play that started the streak. Another Parker steal led to a Park free throw. Then Carraway corralled a loose ball that eventually led to a pair of Parker free throws. Carraway's jumper made it an 8-0 push before Parker pilfered another possession, pushed the ball up the floor, and found Semple for a layup that made it 46-26 with 14:43 left.
That big push berthed a 24-5 run. The Wildcats' lead grew to 60-31 with 10:27 left. Semple scored seven during the run, Parker six, and Drew Kitchens five.
The advantage hovered between 24 and 32 from that point forward.
The Wildcats held Watkins to a season-low 11 points – 11 below his scoring average – while forcing him into a season-high four turnovers. James Tillman led Cal State L.A. with 12 points. But the Golden Eagles' second-leading scorer needed 16 shots to get there and committed five turnovers on the way.
The 20 turnovers were the most committed this season by Cal State L.A., which fell to 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the CCAA.
Chico State, in the midst of a stretch in which it will play eight of 10 at home, hosts Cal State East Bay and Cal State Monterey Bay next weekend.
