ROHNERT PARK – His team's lead was gone. As Chico State Men's Basketball Coach Greg Clink surveyed his bench in search of a spark, he saw a bunch of untested freshmen. Whether out of trust or necessity (the Wildcats travelled just 10 men to Sonoma State's Ron Logsdon Classic) he signaled for Corey Silverstrom, Tyler Harris and Jalen McFerren to give it the Wildcats that spark.
 
They lit up The Wolves' Den.
 
Silverstrom sank a pair of 3-pointers and McFerren went coast-to-coast for a beautiful bucket to turn a one-point deficit into a 42-35 advantage and the 19^th-ranked Wildcats went on to beat Alaska Anchorage 74-64 Saturday night.
 

The Wildcats, featuring four freshmen and seldom-used (prior to this season) sophomore Robert Duncan, improved to 2-0 with their 12^th win in their last 13 away from Acker Gym. Alaska Anchorage, picked to finish second by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's coaches in their preseason poll, plummeted to 0-4.
 
Duncan scored a career-high 18 points to lead the Wildcats. Jordan Semple finished with 13 points, five rebounds, three blocks and three assists. McFerren, Harris, Isaiah Ellis and Silverstrom combined for 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting (4-of-8 from 3), 16 rebounds, two assists, and only two turnovers.
 
The fab four scored 17 straight points during a four-and-a-half-minute run as Chico State turned a 35-34 deficit into a 51-42 lead.
 
"The young guys stepped up and hit big shots," Clink told Mike Baca on the AM 1290 KPAY Chico State Basketball Postgame show.
 
This is how it happened:
14:09 – Silverstrom 3 gives Wildcats 37-35 lead.
13:35 – Silverstrom 3 (40-35)
12:55 – McFerren fastbreak layup (42-35)
11:40 – Ellis jumper (44-38)
10:57 – Harris three-point play (47-40)
10:29 – McFerren jumper (49-40)
9:43 – Silverstrom layup (51-42)
 
Alaska Anchorage dug deep to cut the deficit to 60-55, but Duncan did them in, hitting two 3-pointers in a 37-second second span. A three-point play by Semple with 1:28 left made it a double-digit lead.
 
The Wildcats will play their 2014-15 home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 25 against William Jessup and then host the Carl's Jr, Mac Martin Invitational Nov. 28-29.
 
GAME NOTES–Chico State's defense limited GNAC Preseason Player of the Year Travis Thompson to seven points on 2-of-5 shooting…The Wildcats' seven turnovers (1 in 40 minutes by point guards Michael Rosaroso and McFerren) was their second-lowest total in since the 2011-12 campaign…Duncan has already surpassed his freshman season totals in points, rebounds and assists.