CHICO, Calif. - It was a solid start to the season from Chico State men's basketball after another decisive win on Saturday against GNAC opponents Seattle Pacific with a score of 70-56. It was a neck-and-neck battle between the two non-conference opponents, but a resilient Wildcats side pulled away late into the second half behind strong showings from Evan Oliver and Adam Affifi.
Evan Oliver was a game-changer for the 'Cats, stepping on the court and forcing many turnovers from the Falcons. Oliver's speed was the key to his four steals, and he converted all four into fast-break points. He led the team in points with 14 and was hot from the free-throw line, making seven of his eight foul shots.
Every Wildcat that stepped on the court found the basket in one way or the other, with newcomers Caden Harris and Isaiah Kerr breaking into double digits behind powerful drives down the lane. The bench tallied half of the 70 points racked up in the Saturday night win.
The 'Cats saw significant improvement from the free-throw line, sinking 15 of 18 for an 83 percent average on the night.
The Wildcats went into the half with a single-point advantage, but with help from junior forward Adam Affifi scoring down low in the paint, the home team pulled away for the eventual 14-point win. Afifi ended the game with 12 points and two blocks.
An early trend from the 'Cats is their ability to convert turnovers into points, adding 18 points from loose balls and steals. Outscoring SPU on turnover points eighteen to two.
The Chico State men's basketball team will have to wait a week until their next non-conference showdown against PacWest opponents Academy of Art. Tip-off will be at 3 pm and broadcast on the CCAA Network.
