The Chico State men's basketball team received some exciting and hard-earned news Tuesday with the release of the national rankings. The Wildcats are No. 12 in both the National Association of Basketball Coaches Poll and D2SIDA Media Poll—their highest ranking since March 1, 2016. Head Coach Greg Clink probably does not know, and either way, he surely does not care. He's more a fan of defensive acumen and effort than something like rankings that are completely out of his team's control.
 
So, to say that Clink was peeved about his team's defensive effort in the first half of Tuesday night's 87-61 win against Pacific Union would be putting it tamely. Chico State forced only three first-half turnovers. Meanwhile, Jordan Lopez appeared to be at the controls of a video game, hitting spectacular shot after spectacular shot while scoring 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range. That had Clink animated as well: during timeouts, and likely, in the halftime locker room.
 
The Wildcats responded to his requests, allowing just 25 second-half points on 9-of-28 shooting, and turning eight second-half turnovers into 11 points. Lopez made just one more shot, out of four tries. Chico State blocked eight shots after intermission and 10 in the game. Kelvin Wright Jr. and Kaleb Carter had three rejections. Malik Duffy and Isaiah Holm had a pair apiece. The Wildcats outrebounded Pacific Union 43-23.
 
Chico State's offense was not challenged like its defense was. The Wildcats got to the basket, seemingly at will, and knocked down 27-of-34 attempts inside the arc. They shot 56 percent overall. Wright Jr. made all five of his attempts and Kevin Warren buried 10-of-16 shots overall, including 9-of-11 when he attacked the paint.
 
Warren finished with a game-high 24 points and grabbed seven boards. Joshua Hamilton and Colby Orr had 11 points apiece. Wright Jr. and Duffy chipped in 10 points and six rebounds apiece. Along with his three blocks, Carter contributed six points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes of action.
 
Now 4-0, the Wildcats open California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play Saturday at Stanislaus State in Turlock. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 (following the women's game at 5:30). Fans can follow the action via the CCAA Network Livestream or listen locally to Mike Baca's call on AM-1290 KPAY or online.
 
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Fans considering attending Saturday's game should familiarize themselves with the Stanislaus State ticketing and attendance policies beforehand.