Men's Basketball | 1/16/2024 2:28:00 PM

CHICO, Calif. - With two crucial wins at home in their pockets, the Chico State men's basketball team is gifted the No.10 spot in the National Association of Basketball Coaches national poll after the eighth week of games. Downing Stanislaus State and Cal State Monterey Bay boosted the Wildcat's standing as they climbed the CCAA Conference rankings simultaneously, landing in a three-way tie for first with a 7-2 record.

Chico State outlasts the CCAA as the sole squad remaining in the national rankings after weeks of upsets and thrilling contests across California; the Cats are currently sitting on a six-game win streak and their eighth straight week in the top 25.

Against Stanislaus State, Chico State cruised to an 84-56 win over the Warriors, commanding the lead from the start and only growing their margin through the game. Evan Oliver scored an impressive 25 points for his eighth game of the season with double-digit points, sinking 10 of 13 free throw attempts and adding 7 baskets from the field.

Miles Daniels and Kelvin Wright Jr. added 26 combined points to the Wildcat's dominant win, the team shooting just under 50 percent from the field, coming in clutch from the free-throw line.

It was a different game when the Otters came into town, but career nights from Joshua Hamilton and Adam Afifi secured their seventh conference win. Hamilton and Afifi scored 31 points each, accounting for over 70 percent of the WIldcatstottal points, putting on a clinic for the home side. Afifi was hot-handed in the first half, scoring baskets from all across the court and keeping the Wildcats alive until halftime.

Hamilton took control of the second half, scoring 16 points in the second half and diving towards the basket without hesitation, earning multiple three-point play opportunities while sinking baskets from beyond the arc, open or contested.

Both players setting new career single-game scoring records, stepping up for their Wildcats with conviction.

The Chico State men's basketball team will travel south to Los Angeles for two significant games against Cal State LA and Cal State Dominguez Hills, the two competitors tied for the top of the CCAA with the 'Cats. These two conference contests will be crucial in the Wildcats campaign back to the conference tournament as they reach the halfway point in their schedule after this weekend.