A slam dunk competition broke out at Friday night's Chico State-Cal State East Bay men's basketball game. Much to the chagrin of the visiting Pioneers, Isaiah Ellis was the only one who entered.
 
Ellis, Chico State's 6-foot-8 sophomore super-sub, rocked the rim seven times – the last on an alley-oop that essentially put the game away – en route to a career-high 24 points, leading the Wildcats to a 64-56 win in an emotional defensive battle.
 
Cal State East Bay, coached by former Chico State assistant Gus Argenal and assisted by former Chico State Conference Player of the Year Jay Flores, played inspired basketball for much of the night. Chico State Head Coach Greg Clink hired Argenal after getting the Chico State job eight years ago. Flores was one of the first players they signed.
 

The Wildcats had their own inspiration in the form of Ellis. His massive smile and monstrous dunks gave Acker Gym the feel of a tent revival. In perhaps the most impressive aerial display that Acker Gym has ever seen, he made the crowd believers and brought Cal State East Bay to its knees.
 
The aforementioned alley-oop from Jalen McFerren glanced off the backboard before Ellis adjusted mid flight to snare it and then bang it home two-handed for a nine-point lead with 2:39 to play.
 
Moments before, Cal State East Bay had crept to within a point. But Robert Duncan drove in for a layup and then produced a three-point play to stretch the lead to six. An Ellis free throw and then his alley-oop dunk added fuel to the decisive 10-0 run.
 
Corey Silverstrom had 11 points for the Wildcats and Duncan collected 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in the team's ninth straight win against Cal State East Bay.
 
Behind Ellis' 10-for-13 night, Chico State shot 54 percent and held Cal State East Bay to 37 percent.
 
Chico State improved to 17-3 overall and moved to within a half game of UC San Diego for the California Collegiate Athletic Association lead at 11-2.
 
The 14^th-ranked Wildcats have now won five straight overall and 15 straight CCAA games at home.
 
Cal State East Bay fell to 7-14 overall and 3-11 in the CCAA.
 
Ellis scored 15 points in the first half, twice taking a steal and going coast-to-coast for a jam. Chico State's offense needed the lift. The rest of the team shot just 5-of-14 in the half.
 
Ellis ended the first half with a twisting fast-break layup, assisted by Duncan, to give the Wildcats a 27-26 lead at the half.
 
The Wildcats started the second half with a 6-0 run – a Silverstrom jumper and consecutive Chris Magalotti scores – and never trailed after the break.
 
But twice the Pioneers cut the lead to one. Ellis scored inside, and then had a steal and dunk to keep them at bay the first time. 
 
Duncan threw the second counterpunch and Ellis threw down the submission hold.
 
Chico State made seven of its final nine free throws to salt the game away.
 
The Wildcats host a hot Cal State Monterey Bay team Saturday night at 7:30. The Otters, 66-65 winners at Stanislaus State Friday, have won three straight and seven of their last 10 to rise into a tie for fifth in the conference standings.
 
A Chico State win would match its best record through 21 games in the history of the program.