Aaron Draper

Box Score

Cal State LA LA 3-8,2-3 CCAA

Chico St. Chico 5-5,3-2 CCAA

Cal State LA LA

3-8,2-3 CCAA

Final

Jan. 02, 2026

Chico St. Chico

5-5,3-2 CCAA

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Cal State LA LA	45	24	69
Chico St. Chico	38	32	70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 1/3/2026 12:25:00 AM | By Cayden Jones - Athletics Communications Coordinator (cjones17@csuchico.edu)

Second-Half Heroics From Dargan Secures Wildcats' First Win of the New Year

Next Game:

Cal State Dominguez Hills

1/4/2026 | 3 p.m.

KPAY AM 1290 & 102.9 FM

Next Game

Full Schedule

Jan. 04 (Sun) / 3 p.m.

Cal State Dominguez Hills

Recap
Roster

CHICO, Calif. – Jeremiah Dargan scored a game-high 23 points and finished the night with the winning layup in the final 10 seconds as the Chico State men's basketball team rallied past Cal State LA, 70–69, on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2026 at Art Acker Gym. With the CCAA win, the Wildcats improved to 5–5 overall and 3–2 in conference, while the Golden Eagles dropped to 3–8 (2–3 CCAA).

How it happened

Cal State LA came out firing and built a 45–38 halftime lead, shooting 18-for-33 in the opening period while Chico State battled through nine first-half turnovers. The Wildcats managed to produce a 53 percent shooting percentage from the field, matching the Golden Eagles 54 percent in the opening half.

The Wildcats flipped the script after the break, turning defense into offense and using second-chance opportunities to chip away. Chico State opened the half with a push and grabbed its first lead at 51–50 on a Cortevious Taylor three at the 14:17 mark.

In the final ten minutes of the second half, the Wildcats made a solid effort of driving to the basket and creating solid chances under the basket and around the perimeter but the rim refused to cooperate. With countless shots rattling in and out of the hoop, refusing to allow the 'Cats to create more breathing room from a desperate Golden Eagles squad.

The final minutes were a possession-by-possession battle. Cal State LA tied the game at 64–64 with 3:47 remaining, then took a 69–66 lead with 53 seconds left.

Chico answered. Taylor threw down a dunk with 37 seconds to play to make it 69–68, and after a steal on the ensuing possession by Max Walters, the Wildcats got the ball back needing one basket. After multiple fouls with the clock showing 20 seconds remaining, the Golden Eagles were given a chance at the line to extend their single point lead—with the game on the line, the visiting shooter missed the first one-and-one shot, the rebound grabbed by Cortevious Taylor who pushed the ball up the court with seconds remaining.

With the clock winding down, Dargan attacked the lane and finished the go-ahead layup with nine seconds left to seal the comeback. One final defensive stop at the rim by the 'Cats and the comeback was complete, securing the third-straight win over CSLA.

One of the most crucial factors in the comeback win was the Wildcats ability to battle for offensive rebounds, snagging fifteen and converting the boards into 21 second-chance points.