After losing four starting seniors and 70 percent of its scoring to graduation last spring, a California Collegiate Athletic Association championship for this season's Chico State men's basketball team was on few, if any, radars. But after its 76-66 win against Cal State Monterey Bay Friday night, Chico State Flight 2014-15 is one win away from ascending to that grand height.
The Wildcats host Cal State East Bay Saturday night at 7:30. A win would secure at least share of their second CCAA Championship in four seasons and the 20
th conference title in the program's storied 100-year history. Cal Poly Pomona, currently tied with Chico State atop the conference standings, plays at Humboldt State Saturday night. If the teams finished tied, the Wildcats will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming CCAA Championship Tournament by virtue of their regular-season sweep of the Broncos.
Drew Kitchens scored the first five points
of the 8-0 first-half run that put Chico
State in control. He finished with seven.Friday night, Robert Duncan drained all seven of his shots and scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Wildcats to their 13
th win in their last 14 games. They improved to 20-6 overall and 17-4 in the CCAA, setting a new school standard for conference victories in a season and reaching the 20-win plateau for the third time in four years and 15
th ever.
Jordan Semple chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds and a trio of steals. Eight Wildcats scored five or more in the game.
Chico State dominated Cal State Monterey Bay (13-14, 9-12 CCAA) on the glass, 40-26, led by Jordan Barton's season-high nine rebounds.
Defensively, the Wildcats limited Otters leader scorer Evan Zeller to eight points and only four field goal attempts. And second-leading scorer Alex Fertig needed 14 shots to score his team-high 13 points.
Chico State never trailed in the game and used an 8-0 run midway through the first half to built a 10-point lead.
Cal State Monterey Bay never got closer than eight after that.
The lead ballooned to 20 with 7:59 to play and Cal State Monterey Bay scored the final eight points of the game to make the final score deceivingly closer.
Tanner Giddings finished with eight points, six rebounds
and two steals.Seniors Mike Rosaroso, Barton and Semple, playing the final home games of their careers Saturday night, will be honored prior to tipoff. At halftime, the All-Century Team will be celebrated, culminating the season-long "100 Years of Chico State Men's Basketball" festivities.
The Wildcats are hoping to do even more celebrating once the final horn sounds.
