Even though the recent pause for the holidays was a welcomed respite, you can certainly forgive the Chico State men's basketball team if it felt the urge to just keep on playing. The Wildcats went into the break playing their best basketball of the season, winning three of the last four games and averaging over 90 points a game during that stretch. The 'Cats hope to carry that momentum into 2023 when they open the New Year with a Sunday afternoon California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) showdown in Turlock against Stanislaus State. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m.
 
Fans can follow the action on KPAY Sports 1290-AM, with Mike Baca's broadcast simulcast on the Internet. Live Stats and live streaming video are also available online, with links located on the Wildcat Athletics homepage and the men's basketball schedule page. Accessing the live video stream requires a monthly subscription fee that grants users access to every CCAA event on the network, home and away.
 
Chico State will look to complete a sweep of the regular season series with Stanislaus State on Sunday. The Wildcats won the first meeting with the Warriors, kicking off the 2022–23 CCAA conference schedule with a 64-55 victory November 26 at Acker Gym.
 
Chico State sports a record of 5-5 entering the weekend and is in a three-way tie for fifth place in the CCAA with a 3-2 conference mark. The Wildcats went into the holiday break with a resounding 94-53 non-conference victory over Pacific Union, and following Sunday's road tilt against Stanislaus, ushers in 2023 underway by playing four straight games in the friendly confines of Acker Gym.
 
Thanks to its efficiency on offense to close out December, Chico State ranks third among the 12 CCAA team with a 77.6 points per game average, and is second in the conference with 88 3-point field goals. Defensively, the Wildcats are giving up an average of 76.5 points a contest.
 
In the individual stat categories, Jojo Murphy ranks second in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 20.6 points a game. The freshman guard is also second in the conference free throw percentage (83.3 percent), third in 3-point shooting percentage (44.0 percent), and seventh in 3-pointers (22) and field goal percentage (.500).
 
Joshua Hamilton and Evan Oliver have combined to average 24 points a game, with Justin Vigil adding 9.1 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds a contest.
 
The Wildcats are 2-4 on the road so far this season.
 
Stanislaus State is 3-8 overall and in 11th place in the CCAA with a 1-4 conference record. After losing to the Wildcats to close out November, the Warriors experienced a rough month of December, dropping five out of six decisions. The most recent games were exhibition losses to the University of Pacific (80-56 on December 13) and Sacramento State (72-51 this Wednesday).
 
As a team, Stanislaus State is averaging a CCAA-low 65.6 points a game, but are fifth in the conference with 77 3-pointers. The Warriors have surrendered an average of 72.8 points a contest on the defensive end.
 
Senior guard Kobe Ordonio (averaging 15.4 points a game) and sophomore guard Marlon Short (13.4 ppg) are among the CCAA's top scorers so far in 2022–23, while sophomore guard Travion Williams ranks in the conference Top 10 in rebounding, averaging 6.3 boards a contest. Sophomore guard Will Pallesi (8.5 ppg) is the Warriors' top 3-point shooter, with 22 made from beyond the arc.
 
Chico State has won the last five head-to-head meetings with Stanislaus State, and since 1987 holds a 46-30 advantage over the Warriors.