One hundred percent shooting from the field, nine rebounds and five blocks from first-year center Justin Briggs led the Wildcats to a comeback win Nov. 11 against the Concordia University Irvine Eagles.

After ending the first half trailing 21-35, the Wildcats were able to improve their shooting and turnover ratio to cut into the deficit. Briggs’ 12 points and continuous blocks helped the Wildcats show their presence in the post and prevent the Eagles from improving their lead.

The game came down to free throws, Chico State went 19-24 on free throws while the Eagles made just eight of 14. Senior guard Rob Duncan made 22 points in the game with seven from the free throw line.

Two costly turnovers almost put the game out of reach for the Wildcats but were saved by the blocks of Briggs to prevent the Eagles from gaining momentum. In the final seconds of the game junior guard, Jalen McFerren missed his second free throw, giving the Eagles a chance to grab the ball.

Briggs was able to crash the board to get the rebound, to prevent the Eagles from tying the game with a fast break score. With the ball in their hands, Chico State was able to close out the game, with a 65-61 win.

Key Players

Rob Duncan

• 22 Points
• 3 Rebounds
• 1 Block
• 1 Steal

Justin Briggs

• 12 Points
• 9 Rebounds
• 5 Blocks
• 1 Steal

Chico State returns to the court Nov. 12 against Biola University in the Wildcats second game of their preseason.

Gabriel Moreno can be reached at [email protected] or @GabeSports3 on Twitter.