Following two key home wins last week, the Wildcats, who broke back into the national rankings at No. 25, carried their momentum into the weekend, going 2-0 on the road by handily beating San Francisco State Gators 82-65 and squeaking out a win against Cal State East Bay 75-72.
The Wildcats started the weekend on Thursday, facing Gators in Don-Nasser Family Plaza. The offense scorched them for 55 points in the first half, shooting a beyond-efficient 73% from the floor and a torrid 11-of-14 from beyond the arc.
Junior Forward Caden Harris was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 18 points and going 5-of-5 from the three. Junior guard Jojo Murphy added 17 points with three 3-pointers of his own.
While points in the paint, rebounding, free throws and points off turnovers were nearly even, the team’s dominance from beyond the arc ultimately decided the game. Junior Forward Trae Taylor was the only other Wildcat that reached double figures, scoring 17 points and casting his 65% free throw percentage aside by going 9-of-12 from the stripe.
However, the Wildcat’s hot shooting in the first half wasn’t one-sided, as the Gators added six first-half pointers of their own, going 6-of-12. Despite the hot shooting in the first half, the Wildcats clamped down on the perimeter in the second half, forcing the Gators to shoot a measly 1-of-12 from the three, holding them to 36% from the floor to douse any chance of a comeback.
Senior Guard Tyjean Burrell carried the Gators scoring 21 points on 6-16 shooting and was the lone bright spot in an underwhelming offensive performance. The Gator’s loss dropped them to below .500 in the conference with an 8-9 record keeping them at the bottom of the standings.
Following their third straight win on Thursday, the Wildcats looked to keep their momentum against Cal State East Bay. The Pioneers came into the game with an 8-9 record after losing two games in a row to 11th-place Cal State San Marcos and third-place Cal Poly Humboldt.
The Wildcats brought their hot shooting from their previous win into Pioneer Gym, going 6-of-12 from three in the first half and 10-of-20 in the overall game. Murphy, Harris and Junior guard Max Walters all connected on three deep balls.
Head Coach Cevin Meador leaned heavily on his starters once again, with the bench contributing just one point. Four Wildcats starters scored in double figures, led by Isiah Kerr’s 19 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting performance. Kerr also added five assists despite committing seven turnovers. Jojo Murphy added 17 points and five assists, while Trae Taylor collected his third double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The game was a back-and-forth battle for all 40 minutes. There were nine lead changes and 12 ties, while neither team gained a double-digit lead. The Pioneers’s defense was able to keep them in the game, stealing the ball 13 times from the Wildcats. Senior guard Beril Kabamba was outstanding on both sides of the ball, totaling 19 points, nine rebounds, four steals and a block.
Bench scoring also kept the Pioneers neck-and-neck in the game by outscoring the Wildcat bench 20-1 and adding 14 second-chance points.
The game was tied at 69 with just under three minutes remaining. A Murphy layup at the 2:40 mark gave the Wildcats the lead, which they held for the rest of the game. Harris added insurance with a last-minute jumper, a steal and two clutch free throws to close out the game.
With the win, the Wildcats moved to 15-3 in the conference and face an uphill battle to usurp Cal State Dominguez Hills for the top spot. They trail the Toros by two games with only four games remaining. The Wildcats will have a chance to gain ground on the Toros when they face them on the road at the Torodome on Saturday.
The Wildcats will wrap up the season at Acker Gymnasium, where they boast an 11-1 record. They will face Sonoma State on Feb. 27, and Cal State San Marcos Feb. 29 for the conference finale.
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.
JJ Fain can be reached at orionmanagingeditor@gmail.com.
