The Chico State men’s basketball team found itself back in the win column after a dominant team performance over the San Francisco State Gators. The 85-70 win gives the Wildcats the sweep of the two-game season series and moves their overall record to 8-14.
With playoff hopes still alive, this is a big win for the ’Cats as they look to build momentum going into their matchup against the undefeated Cal State East Bay squad on Saturday.
“I am confident that we can get it done, we just got to take it game by game,” said senior guard Max Walters, voicing his stance on the team’s playoff hopes. “What we’ve been saying in the locker room is win the day. We have to come in and win at practice and win every possession.”
Walters had a great performance in the win, posting 14 points and three steals while shooting 4-6 from three-point range. Eight of his points came in the first half, helping the ’Cats get off to a hot start.
Chris Holley also had a routine night, putting up 16 points, which is right on average for him. Holley also recorded six boards and six assists, leading the team in both stat categories.
“We were just trying to get the best shots we could tonight. One thing we’ve struggled with all season is taking bad shots and everyone playing one-on-one,” Walters said.
The two-man game between junior forward Isaiah Brewington and sophomore forward Cortevious “Red” Taylor was firing on all cylinders tonight. The two consistently picked apart the Gators’ zone defense and controlled the paint on both sides of the floor.
“I think me and Red just have that connection, you know,” Brewington said. “He’s probably my closest friend on the team.”
Brewington finished the night with 16 points, tying Holley as the leading scorer for the ’Cats, along with five rebounds and shot 7-8 from the field. Taylor finished with 14 points and five rebounds, two of which came on the offensive end.
The key for the ’Cats moving forward is staying together as a team and trying to stay injury free.
With about 10 minutes left in the game, Brewington suffered a minor ankle injury but did not come out of the game.
“We have injuries and sicknesses that we’ve been dealing with all year,” Brewington said. “Just playing through it and knowing that my team needs me right now, so I do whatever I can to keep playing for them.”
The ’Cats next outing will be against Cal State East Bay on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Acker Gym, where they will try to start a win streak to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Acker Gym grants free entry with a Chico State student ID card or a student’s 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.
Cody Rowan can be reached at [email protected]
