HAYWARD—One team trying to work its way back into the win column for the first time since January 12. The other attempting to climb out of the conference cellar. Those were the backstories Thursday night as the Chico State and Cal State East Bay men's basketball teams squared off in Hayward. In a hard-fought contest that saw the momentum swing back and forth and several lengthy scoring runs, the host Pioneers ultimately prevailed, outscoring the Wildcats 27-14 over the final nine-and-a-half minutes to post a 78-69 victory.
Chico State dropped its fourth straight decision to dip to 8-10 overall and into a tie with Stanislaus State for sixth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 6-7 conference record. Cal State East Bay won its second in a row to improve to 6-13 on the season and 4-9 in CCAA play.
Evan Oliver connected on three 3-pointers for the Wildcats to finish with a team-high 15 points, while Trae Taylor scored a career-high 12 to go along with four rebounds. Joshua Hamilton contributed 11 points to the 'Cats' attack, with Kelvin Wright Jr. adding 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Payden White led five East Bay double-digit scorers with 22 points on the night.
The Wildcats got off to a fast start in the first half, with Wright Jr. collecting three field goals, Taylor dropping in a layup, and Hamilton burying a 3-pointer to give Chico State a quick 11-4 lead. The 'Cats twice extended its advantage to nine, but a 9-0 run by Cal State East Bay knotted up the contest at 24-all. Hamilton immediately put Chico State back in front with a 3-pointer, only to see the Pioneers score nine of next 14 points to go in front 33-32. A Jojo Murphy layup briefly put the 'Cats on top, and a free throw by East Bay in the final minute of the half made it a 34-34 game at intermission.
The Wildcats went scoreless for the first four minutes of the second half, and the Pioneers took full advantage, surging to a 44-34 lead. Chico State responded with nine unanswered points—Taylor threw down a dunk and hit two free throws, Hamilton made a layup, and Oliver knocked down a 3-pointer—to bring the 'Cats to within one. East Bay was nursing a 49-46 lead when Chico State combined layups by Taylor and Miles Daniels, two Oliver free throws, and a Murphy 3-pointer to move in front 55-51.
The Pioneers scrambled back to fashion a 13-4 run and jump back on top 64-59 with five minutes remaining. It would be a lead East Bay would not relinquish—Oliver and Daniels kept the 'Cats close with 3-pointers in the final two-and-a-half minutes, but after two Oliver free throws pulled Chico State to within three with 1:08 left, the Pioneers closed out the scoring with six unanswered points to roll to the 78-69 victory.
Chico State is back in action Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats travel to Southern California to take on Cal State Dominguez Hills (8-11, 4-9 CCAA). The contest is scheduled to get underway at 3 p.m.
