Box Score SAN BERNARDINO – Sensing it might be the final 20 minutes his Chico State men's basketball team had together, Head Coach Greg Clink requested one thing from his charges: To compete as hard as they could.
"With two minutes left we'll look up at the clock and see where we're at," he said.
Well, it didn't look good. The Wildcats responded with inspired play but couldn't make it count on the scoreboard against a seemingly unstoppable Cal State Stanislaus squad.
With 2:48 remaining the Wildcats trailed 74-61.
What followed were some of the most stunning moments in the history of Chico State athletics. The Wildcats scored 20 points in the final 2:34, capped by Amir Carraway's game-winning free throws with 1.9 seconds left in an 81-80 win that catapulted the 'Cats into the NCAA Championship Tournament Elite Eight for the first time.
Jordan Barton made a fall-away jumper, Amir Carraway a three-point play and Giordano Estrada a 3-pointer to cut the lead to five.
It happened in a flash…
But the Warriors answered with a free throw and breakaway dunk to extend the lead to eight with a minute remaining, further dimming the Wildcats' hopes.
Rashad Parker sandwiched two 3-pointers around a pair of Warriors free throws and then Sean Park scored layup after two missed Stanislaus free throws to make it a two-point game.
…In the blink of an eye.
After the Warriors made one of two from the line Carraway made two charities with 10.9 seconds left to make it a one-point game.
Then Jordan Semple stole the ensuing inbounds pass near midcourt. He dribbled up the right side and was fouled with 3.9 seconds left. He was going to the line for a one-and-one.
Suddenly the Wildcats could taste it.
Semple's free throw caromed off the back iron but Carraway climbed high to snatch it. He leaned in with his left shoulder and shot a right-handed floater.
He was fouled! It was stunning.
He coolly sank both free throws, and when Sam Marcus' two-thirds court heave hit the iron and bounced away, the wide-eyed Wildcats began a wild celebration.
"I can't wrap my head around what just happened," said Clink. "I just want to say how proud I am of these guys, win or lose."
The West Region champions will now head to the Elite Eight in Evansville, Ind. The Wildcats, 25-7, have matched the program's single-season wins record twice in the past three seasons. They entered the NCAA Tournament as the West's No. 4 seed, and will face the winner of Tuesday's Southeast Region final between top-seeded South Carolina Aiken and No. 3 Montevallo on March 26.
Parker scored six of his game-high 19 in the final 50 seconds. Carraway, the tournament's Most Valuable Player, scored seven of his 16 in the last 1:56. Mike Rosaroso scored a career-high 11 points of the bench to keep the Wildcats afloat. Park finished with eight points and seven rebounds, Estrada eight points, Barton six points and six rebounds and Semple eight points, seven rebounds two blocks and the biggest steal of his life. Parker and Semple joined Carraway on the All-Tournament team.
Carraway was the first to take the scissors and ascend the aluminum steps before making the first of many cuts in the two nets that once hung from the shooter-friendly cylinders inside Coussoulis Arena on the campus of Cal State San Bernardino.
One by one the Wildcats took their turn, fulfilling what had only been a dream during the first 98 years of Chico State men's basketball, and what seemed like a distant dream for 39-plus minutes Monday.
Those nets are now hanging around the necks of the champion Wildcats.
Cal State Stanislaus, which had its nine-game winning streak snapped, finished the season 23-9. The Warriors had to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Tournament just to get into the NCAA Tournament, but looked as though they destined to march on to the Elite Eight for most of Monday's game.
They took the lead 56 seconds in and held it until 1.9 ticks remained. Cal State Stanislaus' lead was 13 at the half and as large as 18 with 12:09 to play.
"There were moments when I definitely thought this was going to be our last game. I'm not going to lie," said Parker. "But I wasn't going to give up hope."
Chico State slowly chipped away, closing to within 10 on four occasions. But Chris Read's 3-pointer with 3:11 left stretched the lead back to 13 had the feel of a dagger. So did Clinton Tremelling's free throws with 2:48 remaining that again made it a 13-point game.
Neither was. The Wildcats would not die.
Three minutes later they were dancing.
"We didn't play our best," said Clink. "I don't even know if in the last couple we played particularly well. We just had guys step up and make plays."
