The Chico State men’s basketball squad added to their win total in good fashion against Cal State East Bay (82-71).

The first half started with jabs thrown from both teams going back and forth, but the Wildcats ultimately threw the power shots, shooting the lights out from behind the arc. 

The Wildcats went into the locker room at the end of the half with a 12-point lead and a 57% clip from the 3-point line. 

Sophomore guard Miles Daniels led all scorers in the first half with 12-points, shooting an amazing four-for-five from three. 

“It’s the same shots I’m getting in during practice, my teammates are always telling me to keep shooting which gave me the confidence I needed,” Daniels said. 

The second half was a battle as the Pioneers brought the game within five points with just four minutes left in the game. It would be the Wildcats’ determination and composure that helped them get a hold on the game, burying crucial free throws and extending the lead to 11 by the final buzzer. 

This was a great team performance from the Wildcats who had four players — Daniels, Adam Afifi, Kelvin Wright Jr. and Jojo Murphy — score over 15 points.

We should also recognize the all-around performance from Joshua Hamilton who ended the night with seven points, seven rebounds and six assist’s putting him into 10th on the all-time career assist leaders for the program. 

The Wildcats will be taking on a hot San Francisco State squad who are on a six-game win-streak on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Acker Gym, where they will look to defend home court once again in hopes of a statement victory.

Nate Paddock can be reached at [email protected].