BERKELEY—With the departure of leading scorers Malik Duffy, Kevin Warren, and Isaiah Brooks, and the wealth of knowledge of experience they took with them, there are many question marks surrounding the defending West Region Champion Chico State men's basketball team heading into the 2022-23 season.
The Wildcats provided a promising indication of what might be ahead by featuring the kind of stingy defense and competitive determination that's made them a perennial NCAA Division II power in a 62-55 exhibition loss at California Wednesday at Haas Pavilion.
Chico State grabbed a 33-32 lead early in the second half and then weathered a Bears run to stay close, cutting the lead to four twice in the final three minutes. They were just 6-of-28 from beyond the arc, however, and needed a few more of those triples to drop to pull off the upset.
Brennan Wheeler led a balanced scoring attack with nine points (all in the second half), while Joshua Hamilton, Evan Oliver, Justin Vigil, and Jojo Murphy chipped in eight apiece. Hamilton and Murphy grabbed two steals apiece.
The Wildcats closed the first half on an 8-0 run, capped by Hamilton's buzzer beating bucket. Chico State limited the Bears to 11-of-31 shooting in the first half, allowing just a pair of threes while forcing seven turnovers.
Wheeler's triple to open the second half drew the Wildcats to within two and set the tone for what was to come. The Wildcats turned strong defense into offense eventually taking a 33-32 lead on Isaiah Holm's block and assist on Evan Oliver's go-ahead fastbreak bucket with 16:56 to play.
The Bears answered with an 11-0 run to re-take the lead for keeps. But the Wildcats would not go quietly. They cut the lead to four on Holm's 3-pointer with 2:49 to play. Following a Cal offensive rebound and putback, Jojo Murphy made a pair of free throws to cut the lead to four once again with 55 seconds remaining. But the Wildcats last two attempts from 3-point range were off the mark.
The game marked a homecoming for Chico State assistant coach Russ Critchfield, a Cal basketball legend who was honored at halftime.
Read more about Critchfield's Cal legacy here.
Chico State is ranked No. 15 in the nation to open the campaign following three West Region titles in its past eight full seasons. The Wildcats have been picked to finish third in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) this season by the conference's coaches. Hamilton and Wright Jr. are the team's lone returning starters.
The Wildcats open the regular season at the Azusa Pacific Crossover Classic Nov. 11-12. They will face Seattle Pacific that Friday at 5 p.m. and Azusa Pacific the following night at 7:30. After two more non-conference road games, they'll debut in Acker Gym against Stanislaus State on Nov. 26 in the CCAA opener for both teams.
