The Chico State men’s basketball team recorded their first win of the season against Biola University in the California Collegiate Athletic Association/Pac West Challenge.

The ‘Cats have had a rough week and a half. After losing to Division I opponents, Stanford and the University of Arizona, in exhibition games, they surprisingly lost to Concordia University to drop their first Division II game of the season.

However, Chico State rebounded in a big way. After allowing 82 points in their first game, they only allowed 58 points in this one. The team was able to force Biola into ten turnovers in the first half, and they turned it into 18 points.

Senior point guard Jalen Mcferren led the team in points with 17, and also had 4 steals in the victory. His backcourt mate, senior guard Corey Silverstrom, had 15 points.

The front court also played well, with senior forward Isaiah Ellis scoring 13 points and bringing down five rebounds, and the team’s new starting center, Justin Briggs, scoring 15.

Chico State’s also got some production from their bench, which they will need if they plan to play to their potential each and every game. The starters can only do so much, and the reserves need to match their level of energy. Freshman point guard Isaiah Brooks had eight points and only one turnover, and junior forward Marvin Timothy had six points in only eight minutes of action.

The ‘Cats look to be back on track after a surprising loss, and look to be one of the top teams in Division II this season. The team will be playing their first league game of the season against Humboldt State on Nov. 18 in Arcata, CA. The game will be televised on ESPN 3.

Patrick Pace can be reached at [email protected] or @PatPaceSports on Twitter.