CHICO, Calif. — The Chico State men's basketball team lost 73-63 to Western Washington on Friday at Art Acker Gym in its home opener in Day 1 of the CCAA/GNAC Crossover Challenge.
The day's games, including Cal Poly Pomona vs. Seattle Pacific, were delayed 45 minutes after power was knocked out on the Chico State campus.
It was the second straight meeting between Chico State and Western Washington; the Wildcats defeated the Vikings 90-82 on Nov. 1 on the campus of Central Washington. Chico State used a 10-0 second-half run to cut a 65-42 deficit to 65-52, but the push was not enough to close the gap.
Chico State (1-3) committed 17 turnovers to Western Washington's 13, and Western Washington (2-3) held advantages in steals, 13-8, and offensive rebounds, 11-5. The Wildcats shot 23-for-54 overall and 7-for-19 from 3-point range, compared with Western Washington's 27-for-64 and 9-for-21.
Robel Zemmo scored 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting and added two steals. Blake Lander finished with 14 points, going 6 of 10 from the field with two 3-pointers. Michael Wilson posted 12 points, hit three 3-pointers and recorded three assists. Donjae Lindsey added eight points, converting 6 of 8 free throws.
Grant Kepley scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting and recorded six assists for Western Washington. Trevor White finished with 14 points, four rebounds and two blocks. Brayden Gant added 13 points, three steals and four rebounds without committing a turnover. Anthony Canales posted nine points and three steals.
The Wildcats trailed 32-28 at halftime as Western Washington hit five 3-pointers and held a 14-2 advantage in bench scoring. Chico State kept the margin to four with seven fast-break points and 5-for-8 free-throw shooting, while Western Washington held a 21-19 rebounding edge and grabbed seven offensive boards.
The 'Cats shot 13-for-25 in the second half and matched Western Washington with four 3-pointers, but Western Washington held edges in points off turnovers, 14-6, and second-chance points, 11-2, while outscoring Chico State 41-35 in the half. The Wildcats used a 10-0 run from 7:36 to 4:21 and hit three 3-pointers in an overlapping stretch before Western Washington finished off the win.
The CCAA/GNAC Crossover Challenge resumes Saturday with teams swapping opponents. Cal Poly Pomona will take on Western Washington at 1 p.m. followed by Chico State taking on Seattle Pacific at 3 p.m. The Broncos ran away to a 61-54 win over the Falcons earlier in the day.
