POMONA, Calif.: The Chico State men's basketball program looked to bounce back after a troubling night offensively in San Bernardino on Thursday against the Coyotes but found a similar situation just down the road on Saturday.

The Wildcats were unable to grab a win on their road trip to Southern California, falling to CPP 54-66 on Saturday. Their loss in Pomona drops their record to 11-3 in CCAA play, now two games behind Dominguez Hills in the conference standings.

Jojo Murphy was the sole Chico State player to score in the double digits, finishing with 20 points on the night. The team shot a strong 41 percent in the first half, showing promise for the final twenty minutes, but a strong defensive effort from Cal Poly Pomona, forced the 'Cats shooting to 27 percent in the closing half.

The team collectively shot 33 percent from the field, managing to outshoot the Broncos from three-point range by a single basket, but it was not enough to overcome the gap. Free throws did not majorly factor in the loss, with both teams only shooting eleven shots from the line each.

Heading into halftime, Chico State held a two-point advantage, but the home team proceeded to outscore the 'Cats thirteen to three in the first five minutes of the second half that, saw CPP growing the deficit to ten points in their favor.

A consistent issue that plagued the Wildcats this week was securing rebounds under their basket and giving up second-chance points—giving up 17 points to the Broncos from offensive rebounds. The lack of presence in the paint from Chico State allowed CPP to gain momentum on both ends of the court.

The Wildcats will be back home next week with two crucial opportunities to keep themselves in the top spots of the conference. They start with a Thursday matchup against the Warriors from Stanislaus; tip-off at Acker Gym is at 7:30 p.m.