Four freshmen helped the Chico State men's basketball team build a big first-half lead, and then seniors Corey Silverstrom, Jalen McFerren, and Isaiah Ellis took over down the stretch to lead the Wildcats to their biggest win this season, a 76–65 victory over first-place Cal Poly Pomona.
 
Calvin Geraci, Isaiah Brooks, Josh Lavergne, and Malik Duffy, all redshirt freshmen, combined to score 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting (3-of-3 from 3-point range) as the Wildcats built a 13-point halftime lead.
 
The lead grew as large as 14 on a Silverstrom triple early in the second half before the 25^th-ranked Broncos began to chip away at the advantage.
 
Chico State's lead was down to 64–61 with 4:44 to go. But an Ellis steal and the free throw he converted after being fouled on the other end sparked a 12–4 closing run. Ellis made two more free throws with 2:03 to play, and then converted the crippling layup off a gorgeous assist from Silverstrom with 58 seconds remaining that pushed the lead to seven.
 
McFerren and Silverstrom combined to hit six straight free throws over the final 20 seconds to put the game away.
 
Silverstrom finished with a game-high 18 points and four assists as the Wildcats snapped a five-game losing streak to the Broncos. McFerren scored 13 after the break to finish with 17. He shot 3-of-5 from the field (all 3-pointers) and eight-of-eight from the

line. Ellis scored nine of his 13 points in the second half.
 
McFerren also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds. His fifth was the 500^th of his career, making him the first guard and 14^th player in the history of the program to reach that milestone. He's now just five points shy of becoming the program's first player to amass career totals of 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, and 100 steals.
 
The Wildcats improved to 11-5 overall and 8-4 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal Poly Pomona dropped to 12-3 overall and 9-2 in the CCAA.
 
Chico State displayed the aggressiveness Head Coach Greg Clink has been calling for on both ends of the floor. They pressured the Broncos from baseline to baseline and forced 16 turnovers, turning those into 18 points. The Wildcats also ran the Broncos off the 3-point line, allowing them to hit just 5-of-17 from beyond the arc. Both totals are well below their season averages.
 
Cal Poly Pomona's two leading scorers, William Christmas (guarded by Ellis for much of the night) and Jordan Ogundiran (checked most often by Silverstrom) combined to make just 7-of-18 shots and commit nine turnovers.
 
Offensively, the Wildcats attacked the vaunted Broncos' zone off the dribble and with good ball movement. They drew 30 fouls, many in the paint, and knocked down 25 of 32 free throws. When they did not shoot or draw a foul inside, the kicked the ball back out, and connected on 9 of 19 3-pointers.
 
Chico State shot 48 percent (21-for-44) from the floor, which is the highest this season against Cal Poly Pomona, and hit 47 percent of its threes, which is also the highest this season against the Broncos.
 

Cal Poly Pomona entered the weekend ranked first in the CCAA and second in the nation in scoring defense at 60.0 points per game. Chico State's total was the second highest by a Broncos opponent this season.  
 
Sophomore center Justin Briggs finished with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting and blocked a season-high four shots, moving him past Ben Perak (2000-04) into second on the school's career blocked shots list. With 92 in just over a season-and-a-half, Briggs trails record-holder Jordan Semple by 61.
 
Brooks made both of his shots, one a triple and the other on a twisting drive, to finish with six points, and also dished out a career-best three assists in 18 minutes of action. Duffy made both of his shots on the way to a five-point, three-rebound night.
 
The Wildcats, who have now won two straight after a three-game skid, host rival Humboldt State next Saturday night at Acker Gym at 7:30.
 
The game will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Links to streaming audio, streaming video, and live stats are available on the men's basketball schedule page and in the calendar section of the homepage at www.chicowildcats.com.