IRVINE – There isn't much a team can do when the shots aren't falling. The NCAA Division II No. 11 Chico State men's basketball team did just about everything else it could to give itself a chance against NAIA No. 4 Biola Saturday in a small college basketball showdown at the Concordia University Irvine Tournament, but came up just short in a 59–58 loss.
During a frustrating stretch in which they missed all five of their free throws, the Wildcats missed 16 of 20 field goal attempts as Biola turned a 10-point deficit into an 11-point lead during the game's decisive 32–11 run.
Biola improved to 6-0 this season, while Chico State fell to 1-1.
The Wildcats nearly pulled off their second straight miraculous comeback, turning an 11-point deficit with 4:39 to play into a one-possession game. But Corey Silverstrom missed a potential game tying 3-pointer with 43 seconds remaining, and then, trailing by two, Michael Bethea, Jr. missed the first of two free throws with the Wildcats trailing by two with 0.3 seconds left.
Robert Duncan and Jalen McFerren combined to shoot 1-for-15, Chico State's starters missed 22 of 31 shots, and the Wildcats were only 5-of-12 from the free throw line. But despite all of that, they gave themselves a chance to win by holding Biola 24 points below its season scoring average.
Bethea, who scored 15 points in just 13 minutes off the bench, was a big reason why. That helped Chico State's bench outscore Biola's 32–9. Justin Briggs had another big night off the bench as well, hitting all five of his shots on the way to 11 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Isaiah Ellis, who hit a career-high four 3-pointers and scored 12 points, was the Wildcats' only starter in double-figures.
Chico State's stars weren't the only ones who struggled Saturday. Azusa Pacific All-America point guard Dakari Archer, who scored a career-high 37 points in the Eagles' win against Cal State San Marcos Friday, was held to just eight points on 4-of-14 shooting.
The Wildcats trailed 7–0 early before Bethea hit a jumper and then a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to cap a 7–0 run that tied the game 7-7.
Briggs scored six straight points as Chico State built a 21–15 lead with 7:58 to play in the half, and then Ellis railed a 3-pointer five minutes later to give the Wildcats their biggest lead of the day, 33–23.
Isaiah Ellis hit four 3-pointers Saturday. He had made just one in
two-plus seasons coming in.
Chico State missed its last two shots of the first half and first two of the second, however. And after a Bethea triple put them up 39–32 with 16:31 to play, they missed seven shots in a row.
The Wildcats went nearly eight minutes without a score before Bethea hit another 3-pointer. By then, however, they trailed 44–42. They only scored once more over the next four minutes–Joseph Lynch's first collegiate bucket–as Biola built its lead to 11.
In sum, over the course of 17:22, the Wildcats scored just 11 points on 4-of-20 shooting and missed five straight free throws. That stretch included scoring droughts of seven-plus minutes, three-plus minutes, and two of two-plus minutes.
The drought finally ended when Ellis hit a 3 and Duncan drained a pair of free throws before grabbing a steal and feeding Silverstrom for an and-one layup in transition. He tacked on the free throw to draw the Wildcats to within 55–52 with 2:22 to play.
Briggs scored inside to cut the lead back to three with 1:41 left, and then his three-point play with 14 seconds left cut the lead to two.
Biola went to the line up two with five seconds remaining. But Jeff Gonzalez, who scored a game-high 20 points, missed both. Bethea ripped down the rebound and went the length of the court. He was fouled shooting a long jumper. He missed the first free throw, however, and once he made the second, as soon as Biola threw the ball in bounds, the buzzer sounded.
Chico State is back in action Wednesday at Dominican University. That game is scheduled to tipoff at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. The Wildcats open at home on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. against Stanislaus State.
GAME NOTES–Briggs has made all 11 of his field-goal attempts this season…The loss marked the Wildcats' first against a non-NCAA Division I or II team in 19 games in the Greg Clink era…The Wildcats fell to 70-6 in the Clink era when limiting an opponent to fewer than 60 points, and 50-3 in the last five-plus seasons.
