Several seasons worth of injuries may have slowed Brennan Wheeler's development in the Chico State men's basketball program, but everyone associated with the team knew that sooner or later the pride of Placerville would one day put all of his talent on display. That welcome exhibit came Thursday at the expense of Cal Poly Pomona, as Wheeler scored 18 of his career-high 22 points in the second half to help lead the Wildcats to an impressive 81-64 victory over the Broncos at Acker Gym.
The win extended the Wildcats' season-best winning streak to three and moved Chico State to 8-6 overall while climbing into a three-way tie for third place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 6-3 conference record. Cal Poly Pomona slipped to 7-5 on the season and 4-4 in CCAA play.
Wheeler finished the night 7-for-9 from the field while knocking down three second half 3-pointers in a torrid span of just over 90 seconds. He also pulled down a career-high eight rebounds as the Wildcats outscored Pomona 45-28 over the final 20 minutes to win going away.
Three other 'Cats scored in double figures Thursday. Jojo Murphy posted 20 points and doled out five assists on the night; Kelvin Wright Jr. added a season-high 14 points to go along with eight boards, and Joshua Hamilton contributed 10 points and three assists. As a team, Chico State thwarted Cal Poly Pomona's zone defense by shooting a collective 50.9 percent.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair that featured four tie scores and five lead changes. After Wheeler opened the scoring with a layup, the Broncos tallied 19 of the next 29 points to build a seven-point advantage. Pomona was still up 24-17 when Chico State went on a 12-5 run—a pair of Murphy 3-pointers and two buckets by Wright Jr. keying the rally—to knot up the score at 29-all.
The Broncos briefly went back in front, but Evan Oliver delivered a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws in the final two minutes of the half, and Chico State and Pomona went into the locker room at halftime tied 36-36.
A 3-pointer by Hamilton early in the second half put the 'Cats on top, but once again Pomona answered to jump in front 46-42 with 15:34 to play. After Miles Daniels hit a free throw, Wheeler took over the proceedings in a big way, bombing away from long distance three times in rapid-fire succession to spark a 12-0 run as the Wildcats surged to a 54-46 lead. The Broncos would get no closer than five points the rest of the way, but were still only down six with 4:29 remaining.
With the score 64-58, the 'Cats officially put the hammer down. Wheeler converted a 3-point play, Wright Jr. dropped in a pair of layups, and field goals by Wheeler, Daniels, and Murphy ballooned Chico State's advantage to 16 at 78-62. Murphy sealed the deal with three free throws in the final 19 seconds, giving the Wildcats the 81-64 victory.
Chico State concludes its four-game home stand Saturday with perhaps its biggest test of the season. The Wildcats play host to CCAA-leading Cal State San Bernardino (11-2, 6-1 CCAA), with the opening tip slated for 3 p.m.
