Most of Chico State's students are wrapping up their finals and heading home for winter break. The relentless rain that has been falling in Chico since last night is one of the only sounds you can hear. All is relatively quiet on the Wildcat front.
 
For the next few weeks, Chico will go back to being the sleepy town it becomes when the students are not around. But not on Saturday night.
 
Saturday night is worth waking up for. Saturday night will be rocking inside of Acker Gym.
 
The Chico State men's basketball team will host long-time Northern California rival Sonoma State Saturday at 7:30, and Chico State fans know that this is not a game to be missed.
 
Last season, the two meetings between these teams turned into two of the most entertaining games of the season. Sonoma State's James Davis put on a dizzying display Dec. 19 in Rohnert Park, scoring 30 second-half points as the Seawolves won 61-58. That despite Chico State's Robert Duncan nearly answering him point for point.
 
The Wildcats got revenge less than a month later, winning 75-70 in double-overtime, after two stirring comebacks. Corey Silverstrom, starting in place of Chico State's injured leading scorer Duncan, scored a game-high 21 points and added seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in the win.
 
Saturday night's game has all the ingredients to make for another memorable matchup.
 
The teams are locked in a tie for fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings at 2-1. At 8-2 overall, Chico State is ranked No. 5 in the West Region and just outside of the nation's top 25. Sonoma State, 6-3, is ranked No. 9 in the West.
 
The Wildcats lead the CCAA in scoring defense (59.8 points allowed per game) and rebounding margin, at plus-10.5. They are No. 2 in the nation in scoring defense and No. 10 in rebound margin.
 
The Seawolves lead the conference and rank fifth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (46.1). They rank fifth in the nation and second in the conference behind the Wildcats in scoring defense, having allowed just 60.6 points per game.
 
Chico State leads the all-time series between these squads 49-42, having won eight of the past nine meetings. Of those 91 meetings, 53 have been decided by 10 or fewer points, including 34 by five points or less, or in overtime.
 
Monday at 7 p.m., the Wildcats will host their final non-conference game of the 2016-17 regular season when Pacific Union comes to town. The Pioneers, 4-1, seem to have one of their best teams in years. The Angwin, California-based team (just east of Napa) beat Holy Names 89-77 in early November and then lost a shootout at Humboldt State 97-93.
 
Chico State is 6-0 all-time against Pacific Union and hammered the Pioneers 104-62 the last time they met on Nov. 14, 2014.
 
Following Monday's game, the Wildcats will have 10 days off before resuming conference play at home against Cal State Monterey Bay and San Francisco State on Dec. 29 and 31, respectively.