In a thrilling neck-and-neck game that was decided by a half-court buzzer beater, the Chico State men’s basketball team defeated the Cal State San Marcos Cougars 83-82 at home after trailing the entire game on Dec. 12.

It seemed like the game was over when the Cougars’ Darnell Taylor made a pair of free throws with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. All eyes were on the Wildcats when they inbounded the ball and sophomore guard Jalen McFerren hit a half-court shot to beat the clock and give the ‘Cats the win.

The win puts the team at an impressive 9-1, with a 3-0 record in conference play.

First half: The game began with a quick tempo with both teams trading baskets. Cal State San Marcos took the lead early and held it for most of the game. The Wildcats never gave up and would continue to hang around. Neither team could take a comfortable lead against the other. At the end of the first half, Cal State San Marcos led 40-39 despite shooting 44 percent from the field, lower than Chico State’s 51 percent. In the first half, the Wildcats had more points off of turnovers than Cal State San Marcos at 11-5, 12-11 for bench points and 22-8 points in the paint.

Second half: The second half was just as tightly contested as the first. At one point, Cal State San Marcos had a nine-point lead, the largest in the game for either team, but could not keep that margin.

As the game was coming to an end, the action intensified. McFerren hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 80. It seemed like the game was going into overtime until Taylor was fouled with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. Taylor would make both his free throws and for a moment it appeared as though Cal State San Marcos would steal a win on Chico State’s home floor. In what can be described as an improbable shot, McFerren received the ball from the inbound and launched the ball from half court where the shot went in as time expired. The Chico State bench and crowd erupted with joy as the shot swished in as the buzzer went off, sealing the win for Chico State.

The Wildcats next game will be against Sonoma State on the road on Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Key players:
Jalen McFerren– 15 points, 5-11, 45 percent
Drew Kitchens– 18 points, 8-10, 80 percent
Robert Duncan– 17 points 5-13, 38 percent

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