SEASIDE – On the evening of the same day that beloved Wildcat George Maderos was laid to rest, the Chico State men's basketball team wrapped up the regular season with a performance that the fierce competitor, staunch supporter, and all-time leading scorer would have been proud of.
 
The Wildcats beat Cal State Monterey Bay 72–57 to finish the regular season 22-6 overall and 15-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. It was their fourth straight win by double-figures following a three-game skid that derailed the Wildcats' hopes for their third straight CCAA title.
 
Instead, they'll attempt to win their first CCAA Championship Tournament title. That quest begins at home against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The winner advances to the semifinals, scheduled for Friday at Cal State San Marcos. The winner of the CCAA Championship Tournament earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship Tournament.
 
A limited number of reserved seats are still available for Tuesday night's game. Fans can purchase them by calling (530) 898-6333 or by visiting the University Box Office, located in Sierra Hall, on the corner of 3^rd Street and Chestnut in downtown Chico.

 
The Wildats led wire-to-wire on Saturday. Jalen McFerren railed a 3-pointer to spark an 8–0 run to start the game and they led by as many as 21 in the first half.
 
The lead grew as large as 27 in the second half when Robert Duncan fed Isaiah Ellis for an alley-oop slam for a 66–39 lead with 8:09 to play.
 
McFerren finished with 14 points, Duncan 13, and Corey Silverstrom and Ellis had nine points apiece. Silverstrom also matched his career-high with six assists to go along with two steals and three rebounds. Ellis led the Wildcats with nine rebounds.
 
Starter Marvin Timothy and his backup, Justin Briggs, combined for 13 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocked shots from the center position.
 
Duncan's final basket, one of his patented off-balanced floaters in the lane, moved him past former teammate Amir Carraway into 10^th in career scoring at Chico State.
 
"That's good company," Duncan told Mike Baca during the AM-1290 KPAY Postgame Show. "But I just want to win. I just want to leave a legacy of winning. I don't care about any other stat."
 
The senior from Granite Bay has now scored 1,165 points.
 
George Maderos' name is at the top of that career scoring list. And it may be up there forever. He scored 2,377 points in the early 1950s before the invention of the 3-point line. At the pace he is going, Duncan would need at least three more seasons to catch him.