With the New Year comes an old challenge for the Chico State men's basketball team: a tough California Collegiate Athletic road trip to Southern California. The Wildcats will face preseason conference favorite Cal Poly Pomona Friday night and a surging UC San Diego squad Saturday. Both games are schedule to tipoff at 7:30 p.m.
 
Chico State has positioned itself nicely to make a run at the postseason with a 6-3 overall record and 3-1 CCAA mark that has then in a three-way tie for second place with, among others, Cal Poly Pomona. The Broncos are 7-2 overall and 3-1 in the CCAA.
 
UC San Diego is 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the CCAA, but boasts impressive wins against Cal Poly Pomona and 8-3 Fort Lewis (Colo.).
 
Both games will be broadcast on AM-1290 KPAY. Links to the audio, live stats and video are available at ChicoWildcats.com on the home page and men's basketball schedule page.
 
The Wildcats, 5-0 away from home, take an eight-game in-conference road win streak into Friday night's contest. The last time they lost a conference game on the road came last Jan. 23 in Pomona.
 
Defense has keyed that streak in which the Wildcats have allowed just 59.9 points per game. This season they've limited opponents to 50.7 points per road game.