SAN FRANCISCO—Home cooking has been sweet for the Chico State men's basketball team this season, but the Wildcats can't seem to get that recipe working away from Acker Gym.
The Wildcats, who have won 12 of 13 at home, lost for the fourth time in their last six road games and fell to 6-6 away from Acker Gym this season with a debilitating 67-38 loss at San Francisco State Friday night.
Chico State shot just 2-of-21 in the first half, missing 15 straight shots during one stretch, as San Francisco State took control early and led by double-digits from the 9:27 mark of the first half on.
The Wildcats finished just 12-of-52 from the field, 4-of-19 from 3-point range, and 10-of-18 from the free throw line. Their field-goal percentage of .231 is its lowest since Jan. 19, 2013. They were also outrebounded for just the sixth time this season, 37-31.
The loss ended Chico State's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title hopes and dealt a blow to the Wildcats' NCAA Tournament hopes. Cal Poly Pomona clinched the conference title with Chico State's loss. The Wildcats needed two wins this weekend (they wrap up the regular season Saturday night at Sonoma State) and a Cal Poly Pomona loss Saturday night to earn a share of their fourth conference crown in seven years and third in the last four.
Chico State fell to 18-7 overall and 15-6 in the CCAA while San Francisco State improved to 17-10 overall and 13-8 in the CCAA.
Malik Duffy knocked down 3-of-4 attempts from 3-point range and scored a team-high nine points. Isaiah Ellis finished with eight points, eight rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals.
San Francisco State shot 57 percent against the Wildcats, which is the highest field-goal percentage Chico State has allowed since the final game of the 2015-16 season.
Chico State hopes to leave that game in the rearview mirror quickly with Saturday's showdown with rival Sonoma State looming Saturday night in Rohnert Park. The game, scheduled to tipoff at 7:30 p.m., will be broadcast locally on AM 1290-KPAY. Links to live stats, live video, and streaming audio are available at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section on the homepage and on the men's basketball schedule page.
