STOCKTON – Not even the biggest shot of Mike Rosaroso's life could stop the impressive, yet infuriating streak. The Chico State men's basketball team has been to four straight California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Tournament title games, and with its 62-57 overtime loss to Cal Poly Pomona Saturday night at the Stockton Arena, has now lost all four.
Rosaroso railed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 21 seconds left to cap an improbable comeback from seven points down with 5:50 to play against Cal Poly Pomona – the nation's top-ranked defense.
But CCAA Player of the Year Terrence Drisdom drained a pair of free throws with four seconds left to force overtime, where the Broncos pulled out the victory. In doing so, they blocked Chico State from joining them as the only teams since the CCAA Championship Tournament was reborn in 2008 to win both the regular season and conference tournament titles in the same season.
Freshman Isaiah Ellis played big minutes down the stretch, contibuting
five points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots."I'll play in this game every other year, win or lose," said Chico State Head Coach Greg Clink. "Any time you get to this game you've put yourself in a position to do great things. I'm disappointed, obviously, but really proud."
All-Tournament selections Robert Duncan and Drew Kitchens led the Wildcats with 20 and 11 points, respectively. Duncan added seven points and four steals while Kitchens had four boards and two assists, including the helper on Rosaroso's go-ahead triple from the wing.
Kitchens passed up a good shot for a great one and it nearly propelled the Wildcats to a win they so desperately desired. It was a nice illustration for the Wildcats' season thus far: unselfish play and an unlikely hero.
"We wanted to get this for the guys who have been here for five years," said Kitchens. "We left it all out there on the court fro them. I love those guys and I wish we could have gotten it done for them."
In losing for just the second time in their last 17 games, the Wildcats fell to 22-7 on the season. Their hopes for a fourth straight NCAA Championship Tournament hopes are still alive and well. The team will be gathering upstairs at the Madison Bear Garden beginning at 6:30 to watch the selection show, which will start at 7:30. The pubic is welcome to join the festivities.
Cal Poly Pomona (23-6) climbed out of a 20-15 first-half deficit to take a three-point lead into the locker room. The Broncos led for almost the entire second half before Rosaroso's triple.
The Broncos built the lead to seven on Tournament MVP Jordan Faison's inside bucket with 5:50 to play.
Duncan and Kitchens cranked up back-to-back threes to close the gap and the Wildcats cranked up the defense, allowing only two points on two free throws over the next 5:45 until Drisdom hit two more to tie the game.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the Broncos' defense was good enough to keep them in striking distance.
"It's a tricky thing because they're all so long and athletic," said Kitchens. "They make everything tough.
"They're exactly like us in that they pride themselves on their defense and they make everything tough."
The Wildcats swept the regular season series against Cal Poly Pomona on the way to their second CCAA title in the past four years, winning 51-50 in Pomona and then 60-52 in Chico.
The teams could possibly meet again for a fourth time in next week's NCAA Tournament West Regional. Chico State entered the week ranked No. 5 in the West and Cal Poly Pomona No. 6.
