CHICO, Calif. — The Chico State men's basketball team defeated Seattle Pacific 66-61 on Saturday on the second and final day of the CCAA/GNAC Crossover Challenge in Acker Gym, using a late first-half 10-0 run to stretch a two-point lead to 12 and finishing with a 42-26 advantage in points in the paint.
Chico State (2-3) made 18 free throws to Seattle Pacific's five. The Falcons (0-2) made eight 3-pointers and held a 37-31 rebounding advantage, while the Wildcats paired their interior production with a run that moved a 24-22 lead to 34-22 before halftime.
Cortevious Taylor scored 18 points, converted 8 of 10 free throws and collected six rebounds. Michael Wilson finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, two assists and a block. Donjae Lindsey added seven points and recorded a team-high three assists.
Theo McMillan finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Seattle Pacific. Connor Drinkwine scored 13 points and hit two 3-pointers. Malcolm Clark collected nine rebounds and posted two blocks. Brant Heppner added nine points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The 'Cats held a 20-8 edge in points in the paint, a 13-2 advantage in second-chance points and a 19-14 rebounding margin to lead 34-24 at halftime. The Falcons shot 9 for 28 from the field, and the Wildcats used a 10-0 run from 4:48 to 0:35 while the Falcons went without a point until the final seconds of the half.
The Falcons outscored Chico State 37-32 in the second half, making five 3-pointers and holding a 23-12 rebounding advantage, including 7-1 on the offensive glass. The Wildcats countered with 22 points in the paint and 10 made free throws in the half despite going 0 for 6 from 3-point range, and Wilson's free throw with two seconds left set the final score.
Chico State now begins a stretch of four games away from campus, starting with a short trip to Rocklin for Jessup's Bill Holtz Warrior Classic. The Wildcats will open up with Dominican on Friday at 7:30 p.m. followed by the host Warriors Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
