The Chico State Men’s basketball team faced off against Cal State University San Bernardino Thursday, losing 62-76 in Acker Gym.

With the loss, the ‘Cats conference record dropped to 4-7, putting them in a three way tie for sixth place with Cal Poly Pomona and Stanislaus State. 

The ‘Cats kicked off the game keeping pace with San Bernandino, but toward the end of the first half they struggled to sink their mid-range shots, going 36% on field goals in the first half.

“I think we should have come out with a better approach,” junior guard Robel Zemmo said. “In the first half, we still kept it close but we really didn’t play the best. We gotta make sure we pick each other up, regardless of how things are going on the court at the moment.”

Going into the second half, the ‘Cats looked to make offensive adjustments in hopes of turning the tide of the game. Their field goal percentage improved, but with less opportunity to take shots, they continued to fall short of the ‘Yotes dominating defense.

Eventually losing the game, senior guard Max Walters, the leading scorer for the ‘Cats with 17 points, reflected on their performance and pinpointed how the ‘Cats can improve in the future. 

“We just need to have more heart, we’re just giving in and giving up too early in the game,” Walters said. “We have to consistently play hard and don’t let missed shots or defensive lapses effect our effort level or chemistry on the court. Everything is effort based.”

Walters stepped into a more offensive role recently following senior guard Jeremiah Dargan, one of the ‘Cats leading scorers, being sidelined due to a leg injury since Jan. 10. 

With Dargan being out of the game, Walters felt pressure to become a better scorer. 

“A lot of the defense was focused on Chris and Robel, so I found myself getting some open shots,” Walters said. 

Despite the loss, there were still positives for the ‘Cats. Senior guard Chris Holley scored 16 points, reaching the 1,000 career point mark. Holley played for Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State before transferring to Chico.

“We need to come out with a different approach, our heads need to be on fire especially for the next few games so we can rack up some wins and get back on the right track,” Zemmo said. “We have had a few tough losses but we gotta keep our heads up and keep going, it’s not that close to over.”

With a record of 4-7, the ‘Cats still have a chance to make the playoffs with 11 more games to play. The top six teams make it to the postseason, leaving the ‘Cats a small margin of error as they need to break even to a .500 winning percentage to have a chance.

Their next game is in Acker Gym on Saturday at 3 p.m. against Cal Poly Pomona. Last season, the ‘Cats went 1-1 against the Broncos and are currently tied with them in the CCAA standings.

Acker Gym grants free entry with a Chico State student ID card or a student’s Canvas home page. 

For information about Chico State athletics or to keep up with the game live, visit the Wildcat home page, or watch through FloSports.

Aiyana Curry can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].