SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The California State University San Bernardino men's basketball team will face off against the No. 2 seed Chico State Wildcats on Friday afternoon at the Sports Center on the campus of Cal State San Marcos.
Recent Meetings
CSUSB and Chico State split the season series, with the home team prevailing in both matchups. The Wildcats won 81-67 on January 11 and the Coyotes won 82-64 on January 30.
How They Got Here
CSUSB finished the regular season with a 22-10 record and a 14-8 mark in CCAA play, securing a third-place finish. The Coyotes advanced to the CCAA Tournament semifinal with a commanding 98-83 victory over Cal State LA on Thursday. CSUSB shot a season-best 60.3 percent from the field (35-for-58) and matched their best three-point shooting performance (14-for-23) in an impressive offensive display.
Seniors Charlie Henderson (Ladera Ranch, Calif.) and Andrew Henderson (Chatsworth, Calif.) led the charge, scoring 28 and 25 points, respectively. Andrew Henderson also hit six three-pointers, the most by a CSUSB player this season. Graduate student Evan Oliver (San Bernardino, Calif.) was just two rebounds shy of a triple-double, finishing with 18 points, eight rebounds, and 12 assists. His 12 assists are also a single-game high for the season by a CSUSB player.
Chico State is 23-5 and finished with a 19-3 record in CCAA play, just one game behind conference champion Cal State Dominguez Hills, earning the No. 2 seed in the CCAA Tournament. The Wildcats received a bye into the Semifinals.
Players to Watch
CCAA All-Conference First Team selections Andrew Henderson and Oliver are both ranked among the top 10 in the CCAA in scoring and are at or near the top in various other statistical categories. Notably, Oliver leads the CCAA in assists (5.6 per game) and steals (2.3 per game). Senior Nic Welp (Seattle, Wash.), who earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors, leads the team in rebounds and ranks fourth in the conference with 7.4 per game.
The Wildcats are led by CCAA Player of the Year Jojo Murphy, who leads the conference in scoring at 20.4 points per game. He is joined by fellow First Team selection Isaiah Kerr and Second Team selection Trae Taylor.
From the Coach's Desk
"We are excited to advance in the conference tournament and keep competing together," said CSUSB head coach Gus Argenal on Friday morning. "Chico State is a quality opponent, who is coming off a great regular season and conference run. Our team has been working since August to have the chance to play in the postseason, and this game is another great opportunity to play in March."
All the Details
Friday's CCAA Semifinal will be held at the Sports Center in San Marcos, California, with tip-off scheduled for 12 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the CCAA on FloSports. Live statistics, tickets, parking information, and more, are all available at GoCCAA.org. You can also listen live on KMET Radio 1490 AM and the KMET mobile app.
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