One of the final games I covered for The Orion in the spring turned out to be one of the best games of basketball I have ever attended. It was March 5 when the CSU, Stanislaus Warriors entered into a packed Acker Gym to take on the Chico State Wildcats. 

It was the first round of the CCAA playoffs, and the Wildcats were hungry for a win at home. They were led by senior captain Justin Briggs, who shattered the block record that year and also secured defensive player of the year.

I was fortunate enough to cover this game. I had covered a few of the men’s basketball games in the regular season, but this was different. This was the playoffs. The intensity and hustle was sky-high and I had to be on top of my game.

The Wildcats did not disappoint with an overtime victory. The game featured clutch free throws from Malik Duffy and one of the most vicious dunks I have ever seen from a basketball game. Hana Beaty, a designer for The Orion, was at the bottom of the hoop and captured the moment.

I miss watching Chico State athletes compete and desperately miss the atmosphere. The Wildcats always put on a show and it’s unfortunate that I can’t watch them play.

This past spring semester was my first semester on The Orion, and I was thrilled to be on the sports desk. I had two semesters of reporting under my belt from Santa Rosa Junior College.

Almost immediately, I was blown away by the talent that Chico State recruited.

On senior night for the women’s basketball team, I was able to sit at the media desk for the first time. Usually, I sat in the stands and took notes. 

This game featured Maddy Wong, the lone senior on the team, and her deadly 3-point shooting. During the final two minutes of the game, Wong drilled back-to-back 3pointers— breaking two records.

Her first 3-pointer in the final minute, which was her 219th overall 3-pointer, set the CCAA 

career record. Her second 3-pointer, her 81st of the season, set the single season record.

Wong shot consistently from behind the arc  her entire career so it was fitting to break both records on senior night.

This is one of my favorite videos from the past semester and I was so glad to have the front row seat to capture the special moment.

The Chico State baseball team was always fun to watch and I miss them the most. What made them so fun to watch was that they worked so well together and knew they were in the game no matter how late it was.

One of my favorite games was on Feb. 8 when the Wildcats played a double header. The first game featured 31 runs, 34 combined hits and nine errors.

The Wildcats could go for the sweep in the second game and they did not want to come up short.

The Wildcats were down 0-1 in the sixth inning and  Eddie Zavala stepped up to the plate. He delivered a massive RBI double to tie the game up.

In the video, you can see the runner sprinting around third base and avoid a tag at the plate. The Wildcats were fired up and Nettleton Stadium was rocking.

In the ninth inning, Willie Lajoie stepped into the batter’s box with the chance to walk off the game. Lajoie squealed a ground ball by the shortstop and the Wildcats walked it off. It was a great double header and phenomenal to watch.

Whenever sports are back at Chico State, I know the athletes will be ready to put on a show and give it everything they’ve got. I just hope that I am there to report on it.

Matthew Wreden can be reached at [email protected] or @bymattwreden on Twitter.