TURLOCK—The Chico State men's basketball team's 78-77 overtime win at Stanislaus State Saturday night gave the Wildcats their 22^nd win of the regular season, matching the program's most since 1984.
 
Who saw that coming?
 
Coming off a nine-win season, the Wildcats were likely to be much-improved with four starters returning. But they faced a number of challenges, not the least of which was their daunting schedule. As the "lone wolf" in the unbalanced 13-team California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), they would be forced to play eight Saturday night games (after playing Thursday night) against teams that had Thursday night off and all week to prepare for the 'Cats. They won all eight.
 
Who saw that coming?
 
Head Coach Greg Clink didn't. He said that at the beginning of the season he would have been thrilled to win five of those.
 
They won their eighth Saturday as Kevin Warren blocked the potential game-tying three after freshman Joshua Hamilton scored 11 of his team-high 15 points in the final 2:24 of regulation and overtime, including two free throws with three seconds left. Justin Briggs' three-point play with 55 seconds left tied the game to send it into overtime and Isaiah Brooks buried a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to give the Wildcats a 4-point cushion.
 
Briggs finished with 13 points (on 6-of-8 shooting), six rebounds, and two blocked shots. Brooks had 12 points and four assists. And Calvin Geraci chipped in 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting as Chico State improved to 22-6 overall and 17-5 in the CCAA, finishing in a tie for second place with Cal Poly Pomona.
 
The Wildcats have won six in a row and will open the postseason at home Tuesday night at 7:30 with a rematch against Stanislaus State (15-12, 11-11), immediately following the Chico State women's team's 5:30 p.m. first-round game against Cal State East Bay. Tickets for Tuesday night's CCAA Tournament doubleheader will go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. at the University Box Office in Sierra Hall, on the corner of 3rd and Chestnut Streets. They are also available by calling (530) 898-6333. Box Office hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The first 300 Chico State students through the door will be admitted free of charge.
 
If Tuesday night's game provides half the thrills that Saturday's did, the games will be well worth whatever the price of admission.
 
The lead changed hands nine times in regulation, but with just over four minutes to go in regulation, the host Warriors had their largest lead of the game, 62-55.
 
That's when a redshirt freshman in a roster featuring a senior and five juniors took the reins.
 
Who saw that coming?
 
Truth be told, no one who has followed the Wildcats closely this season was surprised that Hamilton had no fear. He scored a layup, grabbed his own miss and converted the put-back, and then hit a runner in the lane for a one-man 6-0 run that cut the lead to one.
 
The Wildcats trailed by three when Malik Duffy grabbed an offensive board and passed to Brooks, who quickly got the ball back into the paint, in Briggs' hands. The Wildcats' center scored and was fouled, and then tied the game with the free throw.
 
Chico State got one stop on a missed three, but Warren was whistled for a travel when he hit the deck after soaring high for the rebound. The Warriors missed another 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
 
Hamilton hit a quick three to open the overtime period, also knocked down a jumper, and then found Warren for a back-door layup and a 71-69 lead with 2:44 to go.
 
The lead was one with the game clock under 15 and shot clock close to expiring when Hamilton hit Brooks on a kick out and the junior point guard railed the triple from the wing to make it a 4-point game with 11 seconds left.
 
Stanislaus quickly answered with a three, but Hamilton knocked down both foul shots to make it a 3-point game with three seconds left, and Warren's blocked shot sealed the victory.
 
With the exception of Geraci, who knocked down a pair of threes and had eight quick points, the Wildcats had a hard time putting the ball in the basket early. However, Colby Orr and Spencer LaShells came off the bench to give them a lift.
 
Orr scored six quick points to spur a 10-4 run to end the half, capped by two LaShells free throws and his tip-in at the halftime buzzer to give Chico State a 34-29 lead at the break.
 
2019–20 CCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals - Tuesday, March 3:
#1 UC San Diego vs. #8 Cal State LA | La Jolla | 8 p.m.
#2 Cal Poly Pomona vs. #7 Cal State Dominguez Hills | Pomona | 7:30 p.m.
#3 Chico State vs. #6 Stanislaus State | Chico | 7:30 p.m.
#4 Cal State San Bernardino vs. #5 Cal State East Bay | San Bernardino | 7 p.m.
 
Semifinals (La Jolla, Calif.) - Friday, March 6:
Winner of #2/7 vs. Winner of #3/6 | RIMAC Arena | Noon
Winner of #1/8 vs. Winner of #4/5 | RIMAC Arena | 2:30 p.m.

Final (La Jolla, Calif.) - Saturday, March 7:
RIMAC Arena | 5 p.m. (winner earns automatic NCAA Championship Tournament bid)