The lone team to have beaten 4^th-ranked UC San Diego this season, the 24^th-ranked Chico State men's basketball team attempted to do it again Thursday night in front of a raucous 1,391 inside Acker Gym. Instead, those fans witnessed a Tritons team get its revenge, beating Chico State 82-74 by knocking down 16-of-30 3-pointers, including Tyrell Roberts' back-breaker inside the final minute.
 
Roberts scored a game-high 30 points and buried 7-of-10 from beyond the arc to lead the Tritons, who won their 14^th straight, improving to 22-1 overall and 16-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
 
Chico State's Justin Briggs finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocked shots, the first of which was the 154^th of his career and broke the program's record for career rejections. Jordan Semple had held the record since 2015. He's now logged three straight double-doubles and six this season.
 
Kevin Warren paced Chico State, now 16-5 overall and 11-4 in the CCAA, with 17 points. Isaiah Brooks finished with 15.
 
UC San Diego started strong, knocking down six of its first eight 3-point attempts while building a 24-6 lead. The Wildcats righted the ship and cut the deficit to single digits (37-28) thanks to a 12-4 push, capped by Colby Orr's fast-break layup to beat the halftime buzzer.
 
The second half started much like the first did as UC San Diego railed seven threes in a row while building its lead to 18. The lead was again 18 with 12:06 to go when the Wildcats finally began to work their way back into striking distance.
 
Spencer LaShells sparked an 11-0 run with a pair of free throws, a 3-pointer, and an assist.
 
The lead hovered between six and nine points before Brooks found Briggs for a bucket in the paint that closed the gap to 68-64. The Tritons, responded, however, and built their advantage back up to 10 with 3:32 to play.  
 
Warren's 3-pointer, a pair of Malik Duffy free throws, and a Warren free throw made it a four-point game with 1:10 remaining. But Roberts' straight-on triple to beat the shot clock with 43 seconds to go was the dagger.
 
The Wildcats are back in action Saturday night at home against Cal State San Marcos. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30.