CARSON, Calif. - The Chico State men's basketball team drops their second road game of the weekend against the Toros in Carson after losing a tight comeback against Cal State LA two days prior on Thursday.
With the loss in the Torodome, Chico State leaves Southern California empty-handed, swept by both Golden Eagles and Toros, falling to 7-4 in conference play and dropping to fourth place in the CCAA standings at the halfway mark of the conference schedule.
Poor scoring in the first half and foul trouble in the second half were a formidable duo for the Wildcats on Saturday, allowing the Toros to build and maintain a lead.
A strong start in the first half from the Wildcats was rooted by a bombardment of three-pointers from the Toros halfway into the first half.
Miles Daniels, a solid starter for the 'Cats in his sophomore year, led the team with 18 points and recorded four assists and two steals.
The first half saw the Wildcats scoring a limited nine field goals, adding nine free throws for twenty-six points. The Toros jumped to a fifteen-point lead heading into halftime on 8 for 16 three-point shooting, pinning a substantial challenge on the Cats for the second half.
In a desperate fight back into the game, Chico State outscored the Toros 48-42 in the second half, but it still didn't match the deficit built up, ending in favor of Dominguez Hills. The Wildcats hit 45 percent of their shots from the field in the second half and 42 percent from beyond the arc, but their totals still sank below 38 percent for the contest.
Six different Toros' scored in the double-digits, Jacob Washington scoring 19 of the Toros' eighty-three on Saturday and making 52 percent of their three-pointers and 81 percent from the free throw line, spelled disaster for any chance of a comeback for the 'Cats.
Foul trouble spelled an issue for the Wildcats in the second half, being whistled for 16 personal fouls and sending the home side to the line for thirty-two free throws in the game. Accounting for 26 of their total points, four 'Cats had four or more fouls called, forcing a less physical approach to the comeback.
Chico State dominated in second-chance points, scoring fifteen from offensive rebounds against the Toros and out-rebounding them 15 to 6 in offensive rebounds. Joshua Hamilton secured three offensive boards, and Kelvin Wright Jr. four of his own.
Returning to Chico for a four-game home stint, the Wildcats take on Cal State San Marcos on Thursday at 7:30 pm. The Cougars won in the last meeting between the two programs, 53-61, in December. Both teams entered the night, dropping two games in a row on the road.
