Box Score LOS ANGELES – The fourth wheel drove the Chico State men's basketball team to a come-from-behind 63-61 victory Friday night at Cal State L.A.
Giordano Estrada became the fourth senior on the roster upon transferring in from Sacramento State this summer, joining Amir Carraway, Sean Park and Rashad Parker, all of whom entered the program as freshmen and already boasted distinguished careers with the Wildcats.
Estrada had made more of a ripple than a splash until Friday. He runs the offense calmly and coolly, usually letting the other three veterans and junior Jordan Semple be the aggressors. But Friday night Estrada took over in one big wave of points. He scored 10 straight (consecutive 3-pointers, a layup and then two free throws) in the span of 2:34 to tie the game at 61 with 1:36 left.
Cal State L.A., which had lad by 12 with 8:44 left, had two chances to go back ahead, but Jordan Barton forced a tough shot and then knocked a ball free for a turnover. Parker then got fouled on a drive with 2.5 seconds left and sank both free throws for the win.
Chico State improved to 16-5 overall and 12-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) while Cal State L.A. dipped to 12-9 and 9-8 in the CCAA.
Parker finished with 14 points, Carraway and Park 13 apiece and Estrada 12 points, three assists, two steals and only one turnover in 32 minutes.
Barton also came up big off the bench, contributing six points and seven rebounds.
Semple had a sub-par night for his standards, but he broke Ben Perak's Chico State career blocks record with his second of the game and the 90th of his career at the 5:23 mark of the first half.
Chico State led 24-21 at that point and 30-29 at the half. But Cal State L.A. used a 10-0 run to take control of the game and built its lead to 56-44 with 8:44 left.
Consecutive three-point plays by Carraway and Parker gave the Wildcats new life. They still trailed by seven with less than five minutes to go, however, before Estrada sank a 3-pointer, and following a Carraway steal, buried another to make it 58-57 with 3:29 remaining.
He answered a James Tillman layup with one of his own, and following a Tillman free throw, got fouled and
went to the line where he made two to tie it.
Estrada was there to snare a pass deflected by Barton in the lane with 34 seconds left.
The Wildcats ran the shot clock almost all the way down before Parker curled around the top of the key and took a handoff from Carraway. He showed the ball and then exploded with a left hand dribble, drawing contact and the whistle.
Cal State L.A., inbounding under its own basket with 2.5 seconds left, failed to get a shot off before the buzzer sounded.
Chico State is back in action Saturday night at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Wildcats remain in third place in the CCAA standings, trailing conference co-leaders Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona by three games and leading fifth-place Cal State Stanislaus and San Francisco State by two games with five to play.
