Published 2006-12-05T00:00:00Z”/>
Jennifer MacDonald
The men’s basketball team broke out the gate in conference play last weekend with one win and one loss to teams in Southern California.
The Wildcats lost to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday night, 68-60, but won over UC San Diego on Friday, 74-67.
“We were a little fatigued because we played back to back, but we can’t use that as an excuse,” head coach Puck Smith said. “But to get a split on the road is better than losing two games.”
The ‘Cats now stand 1-1 in conference play and 2-4 overall.
In Saturday’s game, Cal State Dominguez Hills outshot Chico State, but the Wildcats had fewer turnovers and more rebounds. The Wildcats had a lower shooting percentage than the Toros, but they made good shots, Smith said.
In the second half, the Toros put pressure on the ‘Cats, taking their biggest lead of 13 points. Chico State fouled its opponent 19 times, mostly in the second half, allowing the Toros to make 13 points off free throws. Cal State Dominguez Hills fouled Chico State 10 times.
“We came out a little flat, and we didn’t play with a sense of urgency that we need to play with,” Smith said. “The team we played against was very athletic.”
The opposite was true for Chico State when the team played well against UC San Diego on Friday. The Wildcats never gave up the lead to the Tritons, who had previously won back-to-back games against teams that ranked in the country’s top five in preseason polls.
The team played more passively against Cal State Dominguez Hills, Smith said.
Forward Andy Bocian led the team in points for both games, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against Cal State Dominguez Hills, while scoring 19 points against UC San Diego.
The Wildcats will build off last weekend’s games by trying to minimize turnovers and increase their endurance in order to play over long periods of time, Smith said.
“We just have to have a little more tenacity early in the game to establish a pattern of play,” Smith said. “I like this team. I think we have the potential to have a good year.”
The ‘Cats will play Cal State Stanislaus at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 in Acker Gym.
Jennifer MacDonald can be reached at <a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>
