SAN BERNARDINO—The Chico State men's basketball team's defense was rolling. Then it ran up against a very talented Cal State San Bernardino team.
 
The host Coyotes, led by first-year Head Coach Andy Newman and a cast of five Division I transfers, dominated play in the paint in an 88-72 victory at Coussoulis Arena Thursday night.
 
Chico State had allowed only 56 points per game while winning four of its last five and ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense at 61.7 points per game. But Cal State San Bernardino matched the most points the Wildcats have allowed since Feb. 2, 2013. The Coyotes, who entered the night leading in the nation in rebounding margin (plus-12.3) also bullied the Wildcats on the boards, outrebounding them 49-28, which is the widest margin allowed by the Wildcats since Nov. 28, 2015.
 
The Wildcats dipped to 4-4 overall and 3-4 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal State San Bernardino improved to 8-5 overall and 4-3 in the CCAA.
 
Chico State was outscored 44-8 inside the paint and converted just four of 21 shots inside the 3-point line against a Coyotes team that entered the night leading the nation in defensive field-goal percentage. The Coyotes blocked five shots and committed 31 fouls, refusing to allow the Wildcats to find an offensive rhythm.
 
Meanwhile, the Coyotes found their offensive footing early, scoring 22 points in a six-minute span to build a 15-point lead at the half.
 
The lead grew as large as 19. Chico State whittled it down to eight before the Coyotes salted the victory away at the free throw line by hitting nine of 10 over the game's final 67 seconds.
 
Nate Ambrosini sank five 3-pointers on the way to a career-high 19 points to lead Chico State's offense. Marvin Timothy and Malik Duffy tallied 12 points apiece. Isaiah Brooks scored 10 and pulled down five rebounds. Kevin Warren added nine points and matched his career best with five assists.
 
Chico State will wrap up its five-game road trip Saturday afternoon at Cal State San Marcos. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Mike Baca will be courtside to provide the play-by-play, broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290-AM and 102.9 FM KPAY and simulcast on the Internet via www.chicowildcats.com. Live Stats and live streaming video will also be available online.
 
Following Saturday's game, the Wildcats will play seven of their next 10 and nine of their final 14 regular-season games at home.