Box Score LA JOLLA – Following a tough loss Friday to Cal State San Bernardino, the Chico State men's basketball team went into RIMAC Arena Saturday with a very clear, singular mission – to win the back end of its southern California weekend road trip. The No. 21 Wildcats were more than up to the challenge, turning in one of their finest defensive efforts of the season, and thanks to 20 unanswered points in the first half, broke the contest open early and cruised to a 73-50 victory over the host Tritons.
Saturday's win gave Chico State a split of its weekend road trip and moved the Wildcats to 8-2 overall and 4-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). UC San Diego dropped to 5-5 on the season and 1-5 in conference play.
Jordan Semple had another monster game for the Wildcats, posting a double-double – his third straight and fourth of the season – with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Amir Carraway and Sean Park each had 12 points, with Park hauling in seven boards. Drew Kitchens came off the bench to bury a pair of 3-pointers and matched his season high with eight points. As a team, Chico State shot 51.1 percent (24-for-47) from the field, including 10 of 17 (58.8 percent) from 3-point range.
Carraway provided all the Chico State offense in the game's opening minutes, delivering a layup, a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats in front early, 7-4. UC San Diego caught the 'Cats at 14-all, but Chico State responded with a dominating 20-0 run, holding the Tritons scoreless for over seven minutes. Offensively, Semple handled the heavy lifting during the run, scoring nine points, and with Parker and Kitchens adding 3-point buckets, the Wildcats built an imposing 34-14 lead. UC San Diego whittled the deficit down to 14, but Semple connected on a pair of free throws just before halftime to give Chico State a 37-21 lead at intermission.
It was more of the same Wildcat dominance in the second half – Parker, Carraway and Park sparked a 9-0 run to open the period to widen the 'Cats' advantage to 46-21. UC San Diego crept to within 17 points at 48-31 with 13:14 to play, but Chico State short-circuited any thought of a Tritons comeback by scoring 12 of the next 15 points – Semple scoring six points while Parker and Kitchens knocked home 3-pointers – to go up 60-34. UC San Diego couldn't get any closer than 21 the rest of the way, and the Wildcats won going away by a final of 73-50.
The Wildcats, who play eight of their next 10 games at home, return to Acker Gym next weekend, hosting Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday and Cal State L.A. on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m.
