SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Chico State men's basketball team built a 13-point halftime lead Sunday afternoon, but Cal State San Marcos rallied behind a strong second half to hand the Wildcats an 83–76 loss in CCAA play at The Sports Center. Chico State shot over 53 percent in the opening half and led 42–29 at the break, but the Cougars outscored the Wildcats 54–34 after intermission and closed the game at the free throw line.

Notable Performances
– Jeremiah Dargan – 25 points, 5 rebounds, 3 3-pointers
– Chris Holley – 23 points, 8 assists, 4 steals
– Robel Zemmo – 11 points (3-for-4 from three)
– Braddock Kjellesvig – 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
– Ned Joyce – 7 points, 2 steals

Game Summary
First Half: The Chico State men's basketball team set the tone early and controlled the opening 20 minutes with pace and shot-making. After Cal State San Marcos scored first, the Wildcats responded with a 9–1 run, sparked by three-pointers from Cortevious Taylor at 18:52 and Max Walters at 17:26 to take a 9–3 lead. Momentum continued to build midway through the half as back-to-back steals by Chris Holley led to fast-break layups at 16:31 and 15:25, stretching the advantage to 15–6.

Chico State pushed the lead into double figures at the 10:56 mark when Jeremiah Dargan connected from deep to make it 18–9. The Wildcats closed the half with their strongest stretch, scoring 15 of the final 21 points. Three-pointers by Ned Joyce (3:11) and Robel Zemmo (2:41, 1:33) capped the run and sent Chico State into halftime with a 42–29 lead.

Second Half: Chico State briefly built its largest lead of the game at 55–39 following a Dargan jumper at 14:15, but Cal State San Marcos answered with a decisive momentum shift. The Cougars put together a 14–4 run over the next four minutes, using offensive rebounds and trips to the free throw line to cut the deficit to 55–48 with 11:06 remaining.

Cal State San Marcos continued to chip away and tied the game at 57–57 at the 11:47 mark before taking its first lead since the opening minutes at 2:56. Chico State responded with a Braddock Kjellesvig layup at 2:23 to briefly regain the advantage, but the Cougars reclaimed the lead moments later and sealed the game at the free throw line, converting nine of their final ten attempts over the last 1:58 to secure the 83–76 decision.

By the Numbers
– Chico State shot 48.4 percent (30-for-62) from the field and 34.6 percent (9-for-26) from three
– Cal State San Marcos finished 23-for-26 from the free throw line, including 18-for-19 in the second half
– The Cougars held a 38–28 rebounding advantage
– Chico State scored 34 points in the paint and 14 fast-break points
– Cal State San Marcos totaled 34 bench points compared to Chico State's 22

Wildcat Tidbits
– Chico State still leads the all-time series against Cal State San Marcos, 11–9. Today's loss snaps the Wildcats' 3-game win streak.
– Jeremiah Dargan's 25 points matches his career-best for the second time this season. He reached 25 points against Saint Martin's in Acker Gym on November 29.
– Chris Holley also scored a career-best 23 points. His previous best was 21 points in the season opener against Seattle Pacific.

Up Next
Chico State will go into the break and will return to Acker Gym to open 2026 against Cal State LA on January 2. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.