Having trailed a majority of the game, the Chico State men’s basketball team beat San Francisco State 74-67 on the road in the final minutes of a thrilling game on Friday.

The game was the 200th time the teams have faced off against each other and opened CCAA conference play. The game was televised on cable through Comcast, allowing Wildcat fans an opportunity to watch the game even though they were away from home.

First half: The Gators came out red hot to start the game. They quickly established their dominance over the Wildcats thanks to their good shooting from the three-point arc. Chico State hung on, but had no answer to the Gators’ three-point shooting. At one point, it seemed like every three the Gators put up was going in. The San Francisco State Gators were led by guard Nick Calcaterra, who went 2-3 from the three-point arc in the first half. Chico State was led by guard Isaiah Ellis, who went 3-4 from the field in the half. Although the Gators were red hot from distance, the Wildcats managed to keep the game close and only trailed the Gators by seven points heading into halftime. At the end of the first half, San Francisco State led 43-36, shooting 61 percent from the field and 63 percent from the three-point arc.

Second half: When the second half began, it looked like it would begin much like the first, but the Wildcats had other plans. Chico State was able to cut into the lead thanks to great play from Ellis, Robert Duncan and Drew Kitchens. With help from their teammates, all three were able to help Chico State take the lead in the closing stages of the game and ultimately win. The Gators who started out hot had cooled down, and the Wildcats were able to come up big when it mattered. Down the stretch, Chico State outscored San Francisco State 23-7 in the final nine minutes of the game. When it was all over, Chico State would win by a score of 74-67 to open CCAA conference play with a victory.

Key players:
Isaiah Ellis– 14 points, 6-7 FGM/FGA 86 percent
Corey Silverstrom– 13 points, 5-9 FGM/FGA 56 percent
Robert Duncan– 13 points, 4-11 FGM/FGA 36 percent

Carlos Islas can be reached at [email protected] or @cIslasReports on Twitter.