Dominican Men’s Basketball Falls to Chico State: Game Highlights and Stats

Dominican Men’s Basketball Falls to Chico State

Dominican men’s basketball lost to Chico State, 77-61, on Friday at Art Acker Gym in Chico, California. The Penguins’ poor first half hindered their performance.

Nathan Ilunga led Dominican with 17 points and 10 rebounds, achieving a double-double. Jaayden Bush contributed 11 points and two steals. For Chico State, Miles Davis and Isaiah Kerr each scored 14 points, while Davis grabbed six rebounds.

Dominican struggled early, committing 11 turnovers in the first half. This allowed Chico State to gain a 26-9 advantage in points off turnovers. The Penguins faced foul trouble early, forcing them to rely on their bench. Chico State capitalized on this, going on an 11-point run to lead 14-4.

The Penguins attempted to close the gap. Jorge Ochoa hit a 3-pointer, making the score 22-13. DM Sanders helped Dominican improve its rebounding efforts, cutting the lead to 24-20. However, another foul problem for the Penguins allowed Chico State to go on an 11-0 run, ending the half with a 49-26 lead.

In the second half, Isaiah Kerr’s 3-pointer pushed Chico State’s lead to 33 points. The Penguins began to find their rhythm. Bush scored seven points in an 11-0 run, shrinking the margin to 68-46 with 6:50 left. Despite outscoring Chico State 35-28 in the second half, Dominican could not overcome the large deficit.

Dominican will return home to host Cal Maritime on Monday at 6 p.m. PDT, starting a five-game homestand.