CHICO, Calif. -- It was another instant classic between two archrivals, but the Sonoma State men's basketball came up just short as the Seawolves fell to rival Chico State, 75-70, in double overtime Saturday night at Acker Gymnasium in Chico.
The Seawolves drop to 4-5 in the CCAA and 9-6 overall. The win for the Wildcats propels them into first-place, sharing the top spot with UC San Diego. Their CCAA record now stands at 8-2 and is 14-3 on the season.
David Ahern led both teams with 23 points while
Nathan Molony-Benjamin grabbed eight rebounds.
It wasn't until the second half that Chico State possessed their first lead of the game, but with just over six minutes to go in the half, SSU led by eight, their largest lead of the night. However, the Seawolf offense remained quiet during those last minutes, while the Wildcats took advantage of two costly personal fouls committed by SSU's Molony-Benjamin and
Luke Cochran. Chico made all four of their free shots and added a jumper, which tied game at 52, sending it into overtime.
The 'Cats had the chance to seal the deal with six seconds to go in the first overtime, but Chico's Jalen McFerren missed a crucial free throw that would have put his team up by four with six seconds to go. Then, McFerren fouled
James Davis while Davis was in the act of heaving a half-court prayer. The foul gave Davis three charity shots, and he did not miss. Davis tied the game at 63 apiece, which sent his team into double overtime.
But, the Seawolves would have to play the last five minutes without the help of three crucial players -- Cochran, Molony Benjamin, and
James Slade. All three had fouled out of the game during the extra time.
The Seawolves were able to tack on seven points during those last five minutes, five of which came from Ahern, but Chico added 12 by the time the final buzzer sounded, finalizing the score at 75-70.
The loss drops SSU to seventh in the conference standings but will look to gain ground Friday night when they face sixth-place Cal State Monterey Bay on Frirday in the Wolves' Den at 7:30 pm.
