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SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The Chico State men's basketball team is heading to the championship game of the CCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 after a 75-70 win over Cal State San Bernardino.
 
The teams came into the semifinal game as the No. 2 (Chico) and No. 3 seeds (CSUSB), and it proved to be the most competitive game of the tournament so far, with four ties and 24 lead changes.
 
Chico State's Trae Taylor led all student-athletes with 24 points and 16 rebounds (seven offensive). He went 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-7 at the free throw line. The 16 rebounds are the second most in CCAA Tournament history, and since 2017, no one has posted a double-double with as many points and rebounds.
 
Caden Harris and Jojo Murphy joined Taylor in double-figures with 19 and 16 points, respectively. Harris went 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
 
Andrew Henderson and Evan Oliver each posted 21 points, and Andrew Henderson had 17 in the loss. Charlie Henderson hit 5-of-7 3-point attempts and finished the tournament shooting 8-of-13 from long range in his return to The Sports Center (CSUSM transfer). Oliver had 11 assists to post his second consecutive double-double. The 23 assists in two games are the most in CCAA Tournament history.
 
Almost all of the 24 lead changes came in the second half. Chico State went up 24-14, but CSUSB made a run to tie the game 33-33 at the half. The Coyotes would take their largest lead with back-to-back 3-pointers by Oliver and Charlie Henderson to open the half, but they would never enjoy that advance again. Neither team would lead by more than five until the final second of the game when Harris sealed the win at the line.
 
With the help of Taylor's 16 boards, the Wildcats won the rebounding battle by eight (41-33). Chico State's defense also forced CSUSB into 18 turnovers and held the Coyotes to 28 points less than their first-round game.
 
Chico State will await its CCAA Tournament Championship opponent. It will face the winner of No. 1 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills and No. 4 Cal Poly Humboldt.