With all of the success the Chico State men's basketball team has enjoyed over the past decade—two Elite Eight berths, seven NCAA Tournament trips, three California collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) titles, and seven 20-win seasons—it has become increasingly difficult to reach new heights. The 2021–22 team is rising anyway. With rival Humboldt State coming to town for a Saturday night showdown, the Wildcats have a chance to match the school record of 10 consecutive regular-season CCAA wins. They are also on the verge of matching the program's best season start, needing two more wins to tie it.
 
Chico State is 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the CCAA. Humboldt State is 7-2 overall and 1-2 in the CCAA. It should be a barn burner. And if you're a north state basketball fan, you should be there in Acker Gym for the 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
 
Ranked No. 5 in the nation in the Division II Media Poll and No. 7 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches for the second consecutive week, the Wildcats boast one of the nation's top defenses. They rank second in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense (25.3) and 16^th in scoring defense (62.1 points per game), and lead the CCAA in blocked shots per game at 4.4. That mark is on pace to set a new school record.
 
Offensively, the Wildcats have also been one of the nation's best shooting teams, having flushed 40.4 percent of their 3-point tries. Beginning with performance at Cal State San Bernardino during which the Wildcats buried a school-record 19 triples, they have made 45 of 86 (52 percent) in their last three games. Isaiah Brooks has hit 55 percent of his 3-point attempts and Malik Duffy 49 percent.
 
This is the third team in Chico State men's basketball history to win its first eight games. The 1942–43 Wildcats started 10-0 and the 1940–41 was 8-0 before absorbing its first defeat.
 
It was only eight years prior that Chico State and Humboldt State began squaring off on the basketball court. Their rivalry began in 1933. Saturday night they will be playing for the 208^th time. The Wildcats have won nine of the last 10 meetings and lead the all-time series 131-76. 
 
Links to streaming video, audio, and live stats are all available on the schedule page and calendar section at www.chicowildcats.com. The game will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. 
 
Please note that all fans (age 12 and older) attending Chico State basketball events must show proof of their fully vaccinated status or a negative COVID-19 test administered by a healthcare professional from within 72 hours of the start of the event. And in accordance with recently announced state health and safety guidelines, fans must wear masks at all times while indoors on the Chico State campus.

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