CHICO, Calif. – Alex Thomas (Vallejo, California, Hogan, Dominican University) drilled a 3-point basket with seven seconds remaining to lift the San Francisco State men's basketball team to a dramatic 66-64 victory over Chico State in a California Collegiate Athletic Association contest Friday night at Acker Gym in Chico, Calif. After six straight defeats to open January, the Gators have now won three in row to raise their record to 11-7 on the season and 5-6 in conference action, while the Wildcats drop to 6-12 overall and 3-8 in the CCAA.

 

“We hit some big shots and played with poise down the stretch,” said SF State head coach Bill Treseler. “Chico State played an inspired game and the job coach (Greg) Clink did was remarkable. Hopefully, we can play with similar energy tomorrow (at Stanislaus).”

 

Trailing 62-59, the Gators got the equalizer when Robert Hayes (San Diego, California, St. Augustine) connected on triple of his own, knotting the score at 62-62 with 59 seconds left on the clock. Following a timeout after Chico State grabbed an offensive rebound, Andy Bocian converted a layup and was fouled on the shot, putting the host team back on top, 64-62 with 16 seconds to go.

 

However, Bocian's ensuing free throw was off the mark as SF State took the ball up the court. Thomas then shook off a defender and nailed a long-distance trey from the left side of the circle, giving the Gators a 65-64 advantage. On the ensuing possession, Bocian missed a 3-point attempt and Thomas was fouled after snaring the loose ball, converting 1-of-2 free throws to ice the game with .02 seconds on the clock.

 

Thomas finished with a team-high 13 points, while Brad Visman (Placerville, California, El Dorado, UC Riverside) and Will Logan (Apple Valley, California, Apple Valley) contributed 10 apiece. In addition, Derek Fletcher (San Jose, California, Branham) tied a season best with a game-high seven rebounds, while Darryl Robinson (San Mateo, California, San Mateo, Canada College) matched his career high with four assists. As a team, SF State held a 36-27 advantage in rebounds and owned a sizeable 42-26 edge on points in the paint.

 

The contest was a back-and-forth affair featuring 13 lead changes and nine ties. The Gators built a six-point lead in the first half at 25-19 after Martin Flores' (Woodland, California, Woodland, Solano Junior College)jumper with 3:49 to go in the period. However, the Wildcats went on a 9-2 spurt to back in front 28-27 with 45 seconds to go before intermission. Logan then responded with a 3-pointer before Chico State hit a free throw, giving the visitors a slim 30-29 advantage heading into the locker room. 

 

The two teams slugged it out once again in the second half, as the Wildcats built a five-point lead on three occasions. Trailing 57-52, SF State reeled off five unanswered points to tie the game at 57-57 following Visman's jumper with 3:14 left on the clock. Chico State ended the run with a triple, but Visman kept things close with a layup, making the score 60-57 with 2:10 remaining to set the stage for the thrilling finish.

 

Bocian led all scorers with 22 points, while Justin Argenal (17 points) and Roderick Hawkins (11 points) also reached double figures in the defeat.

 
Box Score