AZUSA, Calif. – Chico State men's basketball opened its 2025–26 campaign in thrilling fashion, rallying from 16 points down to defeat Seattle Pacific 80–71 in overtime Saturday afternoon at the Felix Event Center. The Wildcats stormed back behind a dominant second-half and extra-period performance from guard Cortevious Taylor to secure their first win of the season. A fresh-faced Wildcats lineup is looking to get their footing in the opening weeks of the season, providing a strong glimpse into their ability to battle back despite falling behind in the opening half. 

Records: Chico State (1–0, 0–0 CCAA); Seattle Pacific (0–1, 0–0 GNAC)

Wildcat Standouts

• Cortevious Taylor – 27 points, 6 rebounds, 14-for-14 free throws, scored 15 in overtime.

• Chris Holley – 21 points, 5 rebounds, 13-for-15 at the line, 2 assists

• Jeremiah Dargan – 17 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

Game Summary

• Seattle Pacific came out hot, using early three-pointers to build a 40–32 halftime lead.

• The Falcons stretched their advantage to double digits in the second half, leading by as many as 12. 

• Chico began its comeback midway through the period as Holley attacked the rim and Dargan dominated the boards. Holley and Dargan combining for twelve of the Wildcats fourteen points in the closing minutes of regulation. 

• Dargan tied the game at 62–62 in the final seconds of regulation with a jumper to force overtime—Dargan almost winning the game before the buzzer with a jump shot after a late steal from the Falcons. 

• The Wildcats took over in the extra frame, outscoring SPU 18–9 behind Taylor's astounding 15 points and clutch free-throw shooting.

• Chico closed the game on a 38-19 scoring difference in the final fifteen minutes of the game, showcasing their efficiency with the ball and finding their footing late into the opener.

• Cortevious Taylor's 27 points is a new career-high from the San Francisco native, toppling his previous best of 17, which was set on November 16th at Academy of Art last season.

• A staggering 14-for-14 free throws from Taylor, becoming the third player in CCAA history to sink all fourteen attempts from the line, and the tenth all-time to accomplish the feat of 100-percent in double-digit attempts.

By the Numbers

• Chico State shot 81.6% from the free-throw line (31-of-38), compared to SPU's 61.9% (13-of-21).

• The Wildcats won the rebounding battle 38–34 and scored 24 points in the paint.

• Chico's defense limited Seattle Pacific to just 9 points in overtime and forced 25 fouls.

• Dargan's double-double helped the Wildcats post 11 second-chance points and 10 points off turnovers.

• The game featured 3 ties and 3 lead changes — all favoring Chico in the closing minutes.

Up Next

Chico State travels to Ellensburg, Washington to take on the Central Washington Wildcats on Sunday, November 21st. Tip-off in the Pacific Northwest is at 7 p.m. in Nicholson Arena.