After an emphatic win over Cal State LA, the Wildcats entered the weekend tied for first place with Cal State Dominguez Hills but dropped consecutive games for only the second time this season.
On Thursday night, they faced off against Cal State San Bernadino at Coussoulis Arena, who they beat handily in their previous meeting, 81-67.
San Bernadino built an early lead and went into halftime with a 43-35 lead. However, they opened it up in the second half, ultimately leading to an 82-64 win for the Coyotes. Chico struggled to take care of the ball, turning it over 16 times, which led to 21 fast break points for the Coyotes.
Former Chico State guard Evan Oliver recorded 19 points, 10 assists and five steals against his former team, while forward Charlie Henderson added 22 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and a steal to lead San Bernardino past the Wildcats.
Although turnovers were a major issue for Chico, controlling the paint was the most glaring discrepancy in the game as the Coyotes outscored them in the paint 56-10 and outrebounded them 41 (15 offensive) to Chico’s 23.
Despite the loss, sophomore Caden Harris continued his strong play, scoring 18 points on 6 of 7 shooting, including 4 of 5 from three-point range. Sophomore Isaiah Kerr led the Wildcats with 20 points, shooting 7 of 12 from the field.
Chico State suffered its second consecutive loss, falling 65-54 to Cal Poly Pamona in a Saturday afternoon matchup at Kellogg Arena. The Wildcat’s previous meeting with the Broncos was an overtime thriller in which the Wildcats squeaked out 83-81.
Chico controlled the first half and carried a two-point lead into halftime, but a second-half shooting slump in which they shot 27% from the floor, 16.7% from the three-point line and a dismal 33.3% from the stripe.
The Wildcats improved their ball security with just eight turnovers, but they were once again overmatched in the paint, getting out-rebounded 47-36. They also surrendered 12 offensive rebounds, leading to 17 second-chance points for the Broncos.
The Broncos were led by Senior Forward Jaden Winfield, who recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Wildcats leading scorer Jojo Murphy led the offensive effort, scoring 20 points, but still struggled to shoot the ball going 2 of 11 from the three-point range. No other Wildcat reached double figures in the game.
After a discouraging weekend, the Wildcats dropped to 11-3 in the conference, trailing Dominguez Hills by two games. They’ll look to bounce back at Acker Gymnasium next week, where they boast a 9-1 home record.
They will face Stanislaus State at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, and Cal State Monterey Bay at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Home games are free for students who bring their student ID or show their Canvas home page.
For information about all Chico State athletics or to keep up with the game live, visit the Wildcat home page, or watch through FloSports.
J.J. Fain can be reached at [email protected].