CARSON – The Chico State men's basketball team decimated Cal State Dominguez Hills on the glass to grab a 69-59 win in its 2014-15 California Collegiate Athletic Association opener Friday night at the Torodome.
 
The Wildcats rebounded from back-to-back losses by winning the battle of the boards 45-27 to earn a 23-4 edge in second-chance points, improving to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the CCAA in the process. Cal State Dominguez Hills fell to 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the CCAA.
 
Jordan Semple secured a season-high 14 rebounds (one off his career high), becoming just the third player in the 100-year history of Chico State men's basketball to reach 700 in his career. Tanner Giddings grabbed seven and Jordan Barton five to go along with his career-high 14 points.
 
Mike Rosaroso scored 13, making all eight of his free throws in the final minute. Semple scored 12 and Robert Duncan 10.
 

Chico State's Career Rebounding Leaders
 

Player	Rebounds
Billy Jones (1964-66)	751
Rich Nelson (1969-72)	722
Jordan Semple (2011-present)	703

 
The Wildcats, among five teams tied atop the conference standings at 1-0, travel to Cal State L.A. Saturday night for a 7:30 tip. The Golden Eagles lost at home to Cal State Stanislaus 64-55 Friday.
 
Chico State scored the first seven points of the game (Duncan five of them) and never trailed.
 
Barton emerged from the bench and blitzed the Toros for eight points and two of his four offensive boards in a little less than two minutes to help build the advantage to 23-7.
 
The Wildcats led by as many as 20 in the first half, but Cal State Dominguez Hills had it down to 13 midway through the second stanza before Tyler Harris dropped the hammer with back-to-back 3-pointers and then another two minutes later to stretch the lead back to 18.
 
The Wildcats reeled off three straight baskets two minutes later – a Semple jumper, inside bucket by Barton (assisted by Rosaroso) and Rosaroso's lauyin – for their biggest lead of the night, 60-38, with 5:48 remaining.
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills scored the game's next 14 points to pull to within 60-52 with 58 seconds remaining before Rosaroso closed the door by sinking eight straight free throws in the final minute.
 
GAME NOTES – Head Coach Greg Clink's road record is over .500 for the first time in his career at 38-37…Since starting 14-25 under his watch, the Wildcats have won 24 of their last 36 on the road, including five straight in conference play…Junior wing Drew Kitchens made his season debut after missing the first five games with an injury and finishes with two points and two assists in 21 minutes…Semple has grabbed 14 or more rebounds five times in his career. Roderick Hawkins is the only other Wildcat with 14 in a game in the Greg Clink era...Semple moved out of a deadlock with Hawkins for 15^th on the program's all-time scoring list and into 14^th alone. He now has 1,049 career points and needs 30 more to match Aaron Martella for 13^th…Robert Duncan has reached double-figures in scoring in each of the Wildcats' first six games...Chico State improved to 51-4 when allowing fewer than 60 points in the Clink era and 86-19 when holding an opponent to less than 45-percent shooting.