ARCATA – Thursday night was simply F.U.N. for the Chico State men's basketball team.
First place.
Ubiquitous performances from Corey Silverstrom and Robert Duncan.
No fun for rival Humboldt State.
Silverstrom scored a career-high 33 points and Duncan poured in a season high 28 (one off his career high) as the two-time defending California Collegiate Athletic Association Champion Wildcats moved into first place with a 100–83 victory in Arcata Thursday night.
Chico State, ranked No. 19 in the nation entering play, improved to 16-2 overall and 9-1 in the CCAA with its 10
th straight victory. Cal State San Marcos' victory at UC San Diego Thursday gives Chico State a half-game lead over the Tritons, who will be in town next weekend.
Robert Duncan missed just one shot on his way
to a season-high 28 points, and also grabbed a
game-high nine rebounds.
Silverstrom scored 22 points in the first half and the Wildcats–who never trailed–led by as many as 17. Duncan was nearly as hot in the second half, scoring 19 after the break. Silverstrom shot 13-of-18 from the field and 7-of-10 from beyond the arc, while Duncan made 9-of-10 shots, including his lone 3-point attempt, and 9-of-10 free throws.
The Wildcats, who played without second-leading scorer Isaiah Ellis, also got key contributions from Jalen McFerren, Nate Ambrosini, Michael Bethea, Jr., Tyler Harris, and others.
McFerren finished with 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Ambrosini, who hails from nearby Fortuna, made his second collegiate start and made both of his shots while contributing four points, two rebounds, and two assists. Bethea had 11 points, including nine in the second half, and chipped in a collegiate career-high five boards. And Harris made his first appearance of the season and finished with five points.
The Wildcats have now beaten their longest-running rivals four straight times and two seasons in a row in Arcata.
Chico State withstood second-half runs on 6-0, 6-0 and 8-0 as Humboldt State (8-9, 3-7) got as close as seven. But the Wildcats made their final four shots and seven straight free throws down the stretch to win going away.
The team's 10
th straight win matches the program's longest winning streak in the Greg Clink era. They are just the third Chico State team to accomplish the feat in the last 50 years.
Silverstrom's 33 points are the most by a Wildcat since Andy Bocian's 35 against St. Cloud State on Nov. 29, 2008, and the third most in the Greg Clink era. Only Bocian has scored more over the last nine seasons. He did it twice.
"It looked like the ocean, and I was throwing rocks in it," Silverstrom told KPAY Sports' Mike Baca when he asked what the rim looks like 'when you are in the kind of zone you were in tonight.'
Baca responded by demanding that the quote find its way into this recap. So, there it is, Mr. Baca.
This was the first time Chico State has scored 100 points in a conference game since Jan. 20, 2007, and the first time they've done it on the road since Feb. 12, 2005. Those were both overtime games. The last time the Wildcats reached the century mark in a regulation conference game was Feb. 20, 2004, and the last time they did it on the road was Jan. 23, 2002.
The Wildcats will try to become the program's first team to win 11 straight since 1955 on Saturday when they travel to take on Cal Poly Pomona.
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.
Michael Bethea, Jr. scored 11 points and pulled down five rebounds.
