CHICO - The Chico State men's basketball team went head to head with the Golden Eagles of Cal State LA on Saturday after celebrating two outstanding Wildcats on Senior Day: Kelvin Wright Jr. and Joshua Hamilton. In a battle between the third-place and fourth-place teams in the conference, the Golden Eagles came out on top at the end, besting the Wildcats 82-77 after a thrilling matchup of two of the conference's best programs.

In a game that came down to the wire with both teams trading baskets through much of the contest, there was no room for error, or one team would run away with the lead. Which the Golden Eagles did after the 'Cats struggled to get shots to drop late into the second half as the visitors began to inch away.

Golden Eagles senior Eche Okeke was a tough player to stop tonight, scoring twenty-five of his team's points, most of his baskets in the paint—an area that the Cats have had issues mitigating. Cal State LA scored fifty percent of their points in the paint while grabbing ten offensive rebounds.

Despite the outcome, this was an improved showing from the 'Cats against Cal State LA from their last meeting a month ago in Los Angeles. It was toe-to-toe through much of the game, with the lead by either team staying within six points until the final 90 seconds.

Evan Oliver was lethal from long range on Saturday, draining all five of his 3-point shots, coming off the bench, and using his aggression to push the ball up the court at any chance. 

Seniors Josh Hamilton and Kelvin Wright Jr. added 20 points and eight assists, giving it their all and saying farewell to the Chico State home crowd after almost six years with the program.

The Wildcats were almost perfect from the free throw line, sinking 22 of their 23 foul shots, a crucial aspect of their team that will be necessary for a strong run in the CCAA tournament.

With a single conference game remaining, the Wildcats have secured the No.4 seed in the CCAA tournament, stretching from March 6th to the 8th, taking on the No. 5 seed Cal State East Bay. The conference matchup will be the third meeting of these teams, and the Wildcats have come away on both occasions with the win. However, this won't be a matchup for the 'Cats to take lightly.

The three-day tournament will be held at Coussoulis Arena in San Bernardino, where the men's and women's tournaments will be played simultaneously. Chico State will play on March 6th at 8 p.m. against Cal State East Bay, and the winner will move on to the semifinals against the No. 1-seeded team, which is still yet to be determined following the final game of the regular season next Thursday.

For more information about the CCAA Tournament, click here to be directed to the tournament's central page.