Box Score A top-25 ranking. A 17-game home win streak. A 12-point lead with 4:41 left. None of that puts a check in the win column.

Alex Fertig and Cal State Monterey Bay taught the Chico State men's basketball team that painful lesson Saturday night. Fertig's 3-pointer at the buzzer completed a 15-2 game-ending run and gave the visiting Otters a stunning 73-72 win over the Wildcats.

The loss was Chico State's first at home since Dec. 6, 2012.

Chico State, ranked 25th in the nation, took a 70-58 lead with 4:41 on Jordan Barton's inside bucket before the Otters took over. Fertig found room to work in the lane for an easy lay-in that cut the lead to 72-70 with 57 seconds left.

Sean Park had a chance to hold the Otters off at the free throw line with 12 seconds left, but missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Devin Murphy attacked the basket but his runner rimmed off with four seconds left. Park and another Wildcats reached high to grab the rebound but only managed to deflect it toward the corner. Fertig tracked it down, turned, rose up and knocked down the 3-pointer. The net splashed just as the red light illuminated the backboard.

Chico State fell 11-3 overall and 7-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with the loss. The Wildcats fell into a three-way tie for third, three games behind conference leader Cal State San Bernardino and two games behind Cal Poly Pomona, which will host Chico State Thursday night.

Cal State Monterey Bay improved to 5-8 overall and 3-7 in the CCAA.

Amir Carraway led Chico State with 17 points and eight rebounds. Giordano Estrada hit 4-of-8 threes and finished with 14 points, while Rashad Parker scored 12.

The Wildcats were only 10-of-20 from the free throw line. But it would be shortsighted to blame that alone on the loss. They were outrebounded 40-33 and allowed 13 offensive rebounds. They were also outscored 50-26 on points the paint.