CHICO, Calif. - The Wildcats burst into a strong lead against the Pioneers on Thursday in front of a rowdy Chico crowd, as Chico State men's basketball wins 76-48 in their conference home opener. 

Chico State men's basketball jumped to a 2-0 CCAA record (5-2 overall) with their dominant win over Cal State East Bay. Holding the Pioneer offense to only 31% from the field gave the Wildcats a chance to widen their advantage without a chance of a comeback. Notably, the 'Cats did not surrender the lead once throughout the contest.

Heading into their conference home opener, Jojo Murphy currently ranked at the top of the conference in scoring average with 19.1 points per game. Following the win on Thursday, the junior retains the lead with the fifth most points in the conference (134). 

A first half that saw the Wildcats jumping to an 18-point lead by the halftime buzzer continued to see success following the 'Cats into the closing half after a 6-0 run in the first two minutes. The Wildcats' tight grip on the lead did not loosen through the entirety of the second half, leading by as much as thirty-two points with five minutes left.

Trae Taylor was the offensive leader for the Chico State men's basketball team on Thursday, putting up 16 points on 8-8 shooting from under the basket. Caden Harris and Miles Daniels combined for 24 points, each contributing 12 points from the field. Harris was hot-handed after three baskets from beyond the three-point line, 

Isaiah Brewington was bolstering the defense in the paint and doing his part offensively below the basket, playing a career-high 22 minutes and adding 8 points with a single block.

A reinvigorated Wildcats squad that continues to impress following their loss to ARTU played with grit on both ends of the court, holding Thursday's visitors to only 18 points in the opening twenty minutes.

Ned Joyce iced the game out with a pair of three-pointers while the defense made big stops at the rim to hold the visitors to under fifty points. A night filled with excitement was ultimately won by a strong defensive effort from all Wildcats that stepped on the court. 

The Chico State men's basketball team is back in Acker this weekend, hosting the Gators of SF State at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 7th.