SAN BERNARDINO – Etching your name in the record books is never easy. The Chico State men's basketball team, taking on Cal State San Bernardino Saturday attempting to become just the second team in the program's 101-year history to win 20 of its first 23 games, leaned heavily on the 3-point stroke of Corey Silverstrom in regulation, then in overtime the Wildcats hit all six of its field goal attempts to outlast the host Coyotes 91-79 at Coussoulis Arena.
 
The win – Chico State's eighth straight – moves the Wildcats to 20-3 overall and improves its California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) best record to 14-2. The victory not only matched Chico State's best 23-game win-loss record, it marked the 'Cats' third straight 20-win season and fourth in the past five years.
 
Chico State beat Cal State San Bernardino at Coussoulis Area for the fifth time in the last six tries after dropping 12 of its first 14 on the Coyotes' home floor.

 

Silverstrom finished the night with a career-high seven 3-pointers and led five Wildcats scorers in double figures with 25 points. Robert Duncan contributed 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists; Tyler Harris came off the bench to score a career-high 17; Isaiah Ellis poured in 13 points to go along with eight rebounds, and Jalen McFerrin chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds for the victorious 'Cats.
 
Chico State hit a season-high 13 3-pointers on the evening and shot 54.8 percent from the field. The Wildcats also beat San Bernardino on the boards, outrebounding the Coyotes 33-31.
 
The first half was a tightly-played affair, with the largest lead for either team just four points. The Wildcats spent most of the period firing away from long distance – no less than 15 of Chico State's 25 field goal attempts were from beyond the 3-point arc. After missing on their first five 3-point attempts, Chico State finally found a hot hand in Silverstrom, who knocked down four treys in the half, including three in the final 6:44 of the period that turned a 22-21 deficit into a 31-30 Wildcat lead at halftime.
 
That lead turned out to be short-lived, as San Bernardino scored 11 of the first 14 points in the second half to go up 41-34. The Coyotes were still up 46-42 when the Wildcats ripped off a 16-8 run – highlighted by Harris and Silverstrom 3-pointers – to grab a 57-54 lead.
 
With Silverstrom knocking down two more treys, Chico State stayed on top until San Bernardino caught the 'Cats at 68-all with 2:50 remaining. Silverstrom put the Wildcats back in front with a pair of layups, but with 33 seconds to go Juan Martinez of the Coyotes drained a huge 3-pointer to make it a 72-71 game. Duncan converted a free throw to put Chico State up by a deuce, but on San Bernardino's final possession in regulation Everett Turner tied the game with two free throws. Jalen McFerrin missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime at 73-all.
 
It was all Wildcats in OT – Harris and McFerrin immediately buried 3-pointers, and back-to-back buckets by Ellis gave Chico State a hefty 83-73 lead. The shell shocked Coyotes could not recover, and the 'Cats sealed the deal with two late layups by Harris and free throws by Duncan and McFerrin to lock down the 91-79 victory.
 
Chico State is back at Acker Gym for a pair of big conference games next weekend. Friday the Wildcats and Cal Poly Pomona tangle in a contest that will be televised nationally on ESPN, then on Saturday the 'Cats take on Humboldt State on Senior Night. Both games are scheduled to get underway at 7:30 p.m.