Friday was an atypical night at Acker Gym, except for fact that it ended in another win for the Chico State men's basketball team.
 
Known for its defensive prowess, Chico State proved it can win a shootout as well, beating Cal State L.A. 89–82.
 

Jalen McFerren scored a career-high 23 points, matched his career standard with four steals, and also contributed six rebounds and five assists, as the Wildcats improved to 9-0 at home this season. That matches the 1997-98 squad's record for consecutive home wins to start the season.
 
Isaiah Ellis also had a big night, finishing with 18 points and a career-high 14 rebounds–the most grabbed by a Wildcat since the 2013-14 season.
 
Robert Duncan had 13 points and six assists while becoming just the 16^th Wildcat to reach 1,000 career points with his tip-in in the final moments of the first half. He and Deon Robinson are now the only Wildcats with career totals eclipsing 1,000 points, 200 assists and 100 steals.
 
Justin Briggs bagged a career-high 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting, while Corey Silverstrom scored 13, as the Wildcats improved to 14-2 overall and 7-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with their eighth straight win overall.
 
The Wildcats outrebounded Cal State L.A. 40–17, shot 52 percent from the field, and hit 25-of-29 free throws in their seventh wire-to-wire victory during this eight-game win streak.
 
That doesn't mean the 23^rd-ranked Wildcats didn't have to sweat this one out.
 
Cal State L.A. (7-10, 3-6 CCAA) scored 54 points in the second half, which is the most allowed by a Chico State team in a half since Feb. 6, 2009, to bore into the Wildcats' 13-point halftime advantage.
 
The Wildcats scored 48 themselves, though, to fend them off. None were more important than Ellis' layup with 1:48 remaining after the Golden Eagles had gotten within three–the closest they had been since the opening five minutes of the game. Duncan then blocked a shot on the other end, and Nate Ambrosini corralled the rebound, got fouled, and sank both free throws on the other end, to stretch the lead back out to seven.
 
That started a streak of eight straight makes from the free throw line in the game's final 1:26 for the Wildcats.

 
The last time Chico State played Cal State L.A.–in the opening round of last season's CCAA Tournament–the Golden Eagles beat them 54–37. It marked Chico State's lowest offensive output since a loss at DePaul in 1994 and the second time in 54 years the Wildcats had been held to 37 or fewer.
 
Friday night's game was markedly different. The Wildcats scored their 37^th point on an Ellis jumper with 1:30 to play in the first half.
 
And though they don't prefer to play the type of game they did Friday night, they have certainly proved they can do so successfully. Chico State is now 43-1 over the past five-and-a-half seasons when scoring 80 or more, including 8-0 this season. Friday's game marked the first time this season and the 12^th time during that stretch the Wildcats have allowed 80-plus.
 
Chico State is back in action Saturday night when Cal State Dominguez Hills comes to town for a 7:30 p.m. tip.
 
Every Chico State basketball game this season will be broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290 KPAY-AM. Links to streaming audio, video and live stats are available in the calendar section on the ChicoWildcats.com homepage and on the men's basketball schedule page.