CHICO, Calif. – Eleven straight wins for the Chico State men's basketball team following another win at home in a west regional matchup with Cal State San Bernardino. The Wildcats picked up their first win against the Coyotes since 2022, pulling away late into the second half and taking Saturday's CCAA matchup 81-67.
The last time these two programs met was in the West Regional's semi-finals this previous spring when the Coyotes found a tight win over the 'Cats, with both teams experiencing significant changes in their rosters.
After dropping their previous conference game in Humboldt on Thursday off a buzzer-beater from the Lumberjacks, CSUSB was looking to get back on track, but the Wildcats were determined to extend their flawless conference schedule. The Wildcats improve to 8-0 CCAA (12-2 overall), holding firm on the top of the CCAA standings following their intense week at home.
From the opening tip, the physicality from the Coytoes was apparent as their defense occupied all of the breathing room for the Wildcats offense to vie for open shots. Isaiah Kerr and Jojo Murphy used the high press to fuel their offense. They opened up the scoring, and Caden Harris continued to find his hot hand from long range and under the basket.
Four different Wildcats finished in the double digits. Still, Jojo Murphy continued to push the bar and improve his conference-leading scoring average with a 23-point performance in his first win over the Coyotes of his career. Isaiah Kerr contributed 19 points, with supporting acts from Miles Daniels with 16 points and Caden Harris adding 13.
Shooting over 51 percent from the field, Chico State showed no sign of exhaustion throughout all forty minutes. The defense worked in tandem, holding CSUSB to 37 percent in the second half, down from their 50 percent in the opening half.
Junior Jojo Murphy was impeccable offensively, shooting 8 for 13 from the field, recording four baskets from three-point range and a perfect three for three from the free-throw line.
Miles Daniels was filling the role of playmaker on Saturday, tallying six assists in the win, and Trae Taylor was playing his part with four assists from down-low in the paint.
Both teams had a tough time holding on to the ball due to the speed and intensity of the bi-annual matchup, with both sides recording over 17 turnovers each. Despite the turnovers, the Wildcats found calm throughout the chaos, scoring 19 points off turnovers and 16 on fastbreak opportunities.
Each player that stepped on the court played an essential part in Saturday's win, and they will look to carry the momentum into next week's road trip to Cal State San Marcos and Sonoma State.
