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The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Insult to injury: Men lose last home game, star guard Haley

Published 2005-03-02T00:00:00Z”/>

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John Galvin<br>Staff Writer

The Chico State men’s basketball team lost at home for just the second time this season Saturday night despite jumping out to a 16–2 lead. The Wildcats were tamed by visiting Sonoma State and eventually lost the game 87–67.

“This was no doubt a tough loss for us,” said Chico coach Prescott “Puck” Smith. “We played well to start, and then we were completely outplayed in the second half and the game got away from us. It would have been nice to get our 11 seniors a victory in their last home game.”

The Wildcats were playing without starting senior point guard Tim Haley, who sprained his ankle in the first half of Friday’s win against San Francisco State.

“Tim’s absence was big. He is our floor leader,” Smith said. “But I am not going to use it as an excuse.”

After making 50 percent of their shots in the first half, the Wildcats shot poorly in the second half, shooting just 12-of-29 from the floor and 1-of-11 three-point attempts. Sonoma State was on fire making nearly 57 percent of their shots en route to outscoring the ‘Cats 48–28 in the second half. For the Wildcats, Will Bonner continued to play well, scoring 19 points. Jason Van Eck netted 14 points and Scott Land added 11 in the loss.

The loss came a day after the Wildcats destroyed visiting San Francisco State 95–68. Chico State had four players in double figures, led by Van Eck, who had a team-high 18 points. Bonner added 14; Land and Andy Butcher each scored 10 points in the blowout. Although the ‘Cats won the game, they lost their floor general when Haley went out in the first half with a badly sprained ankle and was forced to sit out for the rest of the weekend.

Despite the loss to Sonoma State, the men’s basketball team is still in the midst of the California Collegiate Athletic Association playoff hunt. Chico’s record is 17–8 overall and 12–6 in the CCAA, leaving them in a tie for third-place with Sonoma and three games behind division leader Cal State Bernardino.

“This is a great group of guys we’ve got here,” Smith said. “Coaching this group of kids has been a real highlight in my career.”

The Wildcats finish the regular season this week with games at Cal State Bakersfield Friday night and Cal State L.A. Saturday night. The Wildcats, ranked No. 7 in the West Region, are in position to get a postseason spot in the tournament, but Smith is not ready to assume anything.

“A couple of wins this week will more or less solidify a decent ranking for us in the tournament,” Smith said.

John Galvin can be reached at

<a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>

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