Box Score                 • Final Stats

CHICO, Calif. – Giordano Estrada scored 10 consecutive points late in the game Saturday, including a four-point play that gave Chico State the lead for good in a 73-70 victory over ninth-ranked Seattle Pacific in the championship contest of the Mac Martin Invitational men's basketball tournament at Acker Gymnasium.
 
The Falcons (7-2) led 63-60 before Estrada hit a deep 3-pointer and converted the subsequent free throw after being fouled by Ryan Todd. After SPU's Mitch Penner missed two free throws Estrada nailed another trey for a 67-63 Wildcats lead. He later hit a 23-foot 3-pointer that put Chico ahead 70-63 with 1:27 on the clock.
 
"It wasn't unbelievable plays. We left him wide open on the 3-point line and that's what he does," said SPU coach Ryan Looney. "We made a ton of mental mistakes defensively and you can't do that against a good team."
 
SPU had a chance to tie the game after Amir Carraway missed the second of two free throws with 7.5 seconds left. David Downs was double-teamed at the top of the key and was forced to drop the ball off to teammate Riley Stockton, whose 30-foot heave caromed off the backboard at the final buzzer.
 
Junior center Cory Hutsen scored 18 points to lead the Falcons, who also got 16 from Downs, 15 from Patrick Simon and 10 from Matt Borton.
 
Estrada paced Chico State (4-1) with 19 points. Jordan Semple added 14 points, Rashad Parker had 12 and Sean Park 11.
 
One night after hitting 19 of 24 treys, SPU shot just 29 percent (6 of 21) from beyond the arc.
 
Looney pointed to defense as the reason for the Falcons less accurate long-distance shooting – his own team's defense.
 
"To be honest it all goes back to what we do defensively. We're not very good on that end of the floor. Not getting any stops and having to take the ball out of the net on every possession and allowing them to just run back and get their defense set made it tough."
 
Simon broke the school 3-point record with 10 on 12 attempts in Friday's 101-96 win over San Francisco State. He made one in five tries on Saturday, but that trey drew SPU within 70-68 with 33 seconds remaining.
 
Park made two free throws for Chico at 0:16 and Downs answered with two of his own with 8.9 seconds to play. Semple was immediately fouled and made the first of two charity shots to set the final score.
 
The Wildcats avenged a lopsided 79-47 loss to SPU in the final round of their tournament last year. They prevailed this year despite trailing by as many as 11 points in the first half.
 
In the first half, the Falcons raced out to an 18-7 lead, limiting Chico to just three baskets during the opening eight minutes. They shot 56 percent (15 of 27) in the first period to claim a 36-29 halftime advantage.
 
The Wildcats quickly erased that five-point deficit to even the score 43-43 on a layup by Carraway with 16:01 left to play. SPU reclaimed the lead with a seven-point surge, capped by back-to-back baskets from Hutsen.
 
Chico again rallied, this time utilizing a 10-point run to take its first lead. Park's layup with 6:47 remaining gave the hosts a 55-52 edge.
 
The Falcons finished at 45 percent (26 of 58) from the field while CSUC shot 47 percent (24 of 51), including 10 of 24 on treys.
 
SPU starts Great Northwest Athletic Conference play at home on Thursday against Northwest Nazarene. Tip-off is 7 p.m. at Brougham Pavilion where the Falcons host Central Washington on Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
Looney had a simple response when asked what his team needs to do to rebound from this loss and prepare for league action.
 
"Rest. Playing this many games on the road in the month of November finally got the best of us."
 
The Falcons played nine games during the last 23 days and seven of those were contested on the road. Include the Nov. 2 exhibition game at Stanford and they have competed away from home eight times on road trips to Palo Alto, Anaheim and Chico, Calif. and a two-game swing through Ellensburg, Wash.
 
December will be much kinder as SPU plays just four games during the month, all of them at home in Brougham Pavilion.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Mac Martin Invitational
Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013
Acker Gym / Chico, Calif.
 
at Chico State 73, (#9) Seattle Pacific 70
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (7-2)
Borton 3-4 2-2 10, Simon 6-14 2-2 15, Hutsen 9-17 0-2 18, Downs 5-14 4-4 16, Stockton 1-4 0-0 2, Penner 1-4 2-6 5, Todd 0-0 2-2 2, Rasmussen 1-1 0-0 2, Carroll 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-58 12-18 70.
 
CHICO STATE (4-1)
Park 3-10 4-4 11, Carraway 3-7 2-4 9, Barton 2-3 2-4 6, Estrada 6-12 2-4 19, Parker 5-9 0-0 12, Semple 5-7 3-4 14, Magalotti 0-1 2-2 2, Kitchens 0-2 0-0 0, Appel 0-0 0-0 0, Rosaroso 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-51 15-22 73.
 
Seattle Pacific...............   36   34  -   70
Chico State...................   29   44  -   74

3-point goals--SPU 6-21 (Downs 2-7, Borton 2-2, Penner 1-4, Simon 1-5, Stockton 0-3), CSUC 10-24 (Estrada 5-9, Parker 2-5, Park 1-3, Semple 1-3, Carraway 1-3, Kitchens 0-1). Fouled out--SPU-None, CSUC-None. Rebounds--SPU 33 (Borton 6), CSUC 30 (Park 9). Assists--SPU 12 (Downs 6), CSUC 15 (Carraway 5). Total fouls--SPU 17, CSUC 17. Technical fouls--SPU-None, CSUC-None. Att.-572.


Next SPU Men's Basketball Game
Northwest Nazarene at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Dec. 5, 7:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.