ROHNERT PARK—After taking a pounding for much of the weekend, the Chico State men's basketball team absorbed a dizzying blow to the chin when Jackson Gion drilled an off-balanced 3-pointer to give rival Sonoma State a six-point lead with four minutes to play.
It could have been the knockout punch. It certainly felt like it might be. Instead, the Wildcats countered with an explosive combination the left them raising their arms in victory.
Isaiah Ellis hit a 3-pointer, Corey Silverstrom scored on a drive, Silverstrom found Nate Ambrosini for a go-ahead 3, and then Silverstrom put the Wildcats in front for good with a short jumper in the lane. The Wildcats scored on four straight possessions and outscored Sonoma State 14-5 over the final 3:48 for a 65-62 victory in the Wolves' Den on Saturday night.
Justin Briggs also contributed the defensive play of the night. Trailing a 2-on-1 break with the Wildcats clinging to a 61-60 lead, the big man ran the floor and blocked Jordan Hickman's layup off the glass and into the arms of Jalen McFerren.
Silverstrom made four straight free throws over the final 20 seconds and Lewayne Grant's potential game-tying, half-court heave at the buzzer sailed under the rim.
Justin Briggs' block with 1:31 left preserved the
Wildcats' one-point lead.
Silverstrom finished with a game-high 17 points, Ellis had 12, Briggs scored 10, and Ambrosini and McFerren added eight apiece.
"We didn't play great tonight but we grinded it out," Silverstrom told Mike Wessels on the AM-1290 KPAY Postgame Show. "Late in the game I told coach to give me the ball, and I'll take us home."
The Wildcats wrapped up the regular season with a record of 19-7, including 16-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). They finished in sole possession of second place, earning the No. 2 seed for the CCAA Tournament. The Wildcats will host Cal State San Bernardino on Tuesday night at 7:30 (following the women's first-round game versus Cal State LA at 5:30) with a spot in the CCAA Tournament semifinals Friday at Cal Poly Pomona on the line.
Chico State had a rough go of it Friday, falling at San Francisco State 67-38 after earning arguably its two biggest wins of the season the previous weekend and jumping to No. 7 in the West Region rankings. That loss knocked the Wildcats out of contention for the conference title and put a dent in their NCAA Tournament hopes.
Saturday night was no walk in the park either. It never is in Rohnert Park, where the Wildcats had lost two straight and 16 of 20 since the teams joined the CCAA at the start of the 1998-99 season.
Chico State fell behind early and trailed by as many as six in the first half. In fact, they trailed for most of the game.
Isaiah Brooks spurred a 10-2 run that pushed them into the lead at halftime, scoring on a drive, dishing to Ambrosini for a 3, and ramping up the intensity on the defensive end. But the Seawolves, playing inspired basketball in their final game of the season, used a 6-0 run out of the break to reclaim the lead and reassert their style of play.
The lead changed hands three times in the first 12 minutes of the half, and neither team led by more than four until Gion's 3 capped a 15-5 Seawolves run that gave them a 57-51 advantage with just over four minutes remaining.
Ellis had an immediate answer, getting a kick-out from Briggs and cutting the lead in half with a straight-on 3 with 3:48 remaining. Silverstrom drove to the block and hit a short jumper to trim the lead to one on the Wildcats' next possession, and after another defensive stop, pump-faked and passed to Ambrosini on the left wing for a go-ahead triple.
After the Seawolves briefly reclaimed the lead with a three-point play, Silverstrom was at it again. This time he gave the Wildcats the lead for good with a short jumper in the lane with 2:06 to play.
CCAA Tournament first-round tickets are available for purchase at the University Box Office or by calling (530) 898-6333 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday and starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Chico State student tickets for the postseason are $3 with a valid ID, but the Athletic Department will foot the bill for the first 200 students with a valid Chico State ID. More details will be announced Monday about when those student tickets will be released.
Chico State basketball ticket prices are: $10 for Section A-G (seatback seating); $8 for general admission; $3 for Chico State students with a valid ID (after the first 200 with valid ID get in free); $5 for seniors 60 and older and visiting students with ID; $3 for children 3-17 years old; and children 2 and younger get in free.
The quarterfinals will be broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290-AM KPAY with the broadcast simulcast on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website. Live Stats, audio and video will also be available through the Wildcat Athletics homepage and the men's basketball schedule page.
