TURLOCK, Calif.---  Stan State men's basketball team will return to the hardwood court on Wednesday, December 28 for a 6pm scheduled exhibition game at Sacramento State.  After their final exhibition game of the 2022-23 season, the Warriors will begin a five-game home stand on Sunday, January 1 at 3pm hosting Chico State at The Fitz.

WARRIORS IN REVIEW:  The Warriors are 3-8 overall and 1-4 in the CCAA heading into their New Year's Game with Chico State.  They will have one more exhibition game prior to hosting Chico State on Wednesday, December 28 at 6pm at Sacramento State.  Stan State is averaging 65.6 points per game while giving up 72.8 points per game.  The Warriors are being outrebounded 34.9 to 31.9.  They are averaging 7.6 steals a game and 12.5 assists per game while forcing 14.6 turnovers per game.  Three players are averaging double digits in scoring in Kobe Ordonio (15.4 points per game), Marlon Short (13.4 points per game) and Tony Singleton (12.8 points per game).  Travion Williams leads the team with his 6.4 rebounding average while Noel Alexander Jr. is shooting a team best 81% from the field.  Singleton leads the team with his 45.7% shooting from three-point land. Will Pallesi has made a team high 21 three-point field goals and Benno Zecic has dished out a team leading 70 assists.  Short leads the team with his 76.7% shooting from the line and six blocked shots while Ordonio has a team high 18 steals. 

LAST GAME:  The Warriors lost in their second exhibition game of the season, 80-56 at the University of the Pacific on December 13 in Stockton.  Jeremiah Jones scored 11 points to lead the Warriors. Stan State outscored the Tigers 38-32 in the second half.  The Warriors forced 14 turnovers by UOP including seven by steals with Benno Zecic's three leading the way. 

LAST OF THREE: Stan State Is facing Sacramento State in its final exhibition game of the regular season on Wednesday, December 28.  On November 2, the Warriors lost to Fresno State in their first exhibition game.  Benno Zecic had 15 points to leads the way for Stan State.  Kobe Ordonio added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists while Travion Williams added 10 points for the Warriors.  Then on Tuesday, December 13, Stan State lost 80-56 at the University of the Pacific.  Jeremiah Jones paced the Warriors with 11 points. 

5,6 AND 19^TH:  The duo of Benno Zecic and Travion Williams are in the top 20 in the nation in assists, assists per game and offensive rebounds per game. Zecic is fifth in the nation in with his 6.4 assists per game average and sixth with his 70 total assists.  Williams is 19^th in rebounding with his 3.56 offensive rebounds per game. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLE:  Marlon Short and Benno Zecic each have recorded double-doubles this season for the Warriors.  Short has three this season including at Cal Poly Humboldt on Saturday (18-points, 10-rebounds).  His other two came against Academy of Art (Nov. 22, 21-points, 10-rebounds) and at Chico State (Nov. 26, 16 points, 10-rebounds). For his career, Short has six double-doubles.  Zecic recorded his first double-double of the season in the Warriors' game on December 1 against Cal State San Marcos.  The Alameda native scored 10 points and dished out 10 assists for Stan State. 

TOP 15 IN THE CCAA:  Five Warriors in Kobe Ordonio, Will Pallesi, Marlon Short, Travion Williams and Benno Zecic are in the top 15 in the conference in eleven individual statistical categories.  Short leads the way as he is 12^th in scoring, 13^th in minutes played and steals while he is 13^th in steals, 14^th in field goal percentage and 15^th in rebounding and blocked shots.  Ordonio is eighth in steals, 11^th in scoring, 12^th in minutes played, 13^th in three-point field goals made per game and 15^th in field goal percentage.  Zecic leads the conference in assists and is third in minutes played and seventh in assist/turnover ratio.  Pallesi is ninth in three-point field goals made per game and Williams is tenth in rebounding average.

SAC STATE IN REVIEW: Heading into their game on December 21 at Cal State Fullerton, Sac State is 6-5 overall after winning its last three games in a row including a 59-53 win at Fresno State on December 17.  The Hornets are averaging 68.4 points per game while giving up 70.4 points per game. They are outrebounding their opponents 35 to 32.  Three players are averaging double digits in scoring in Zach Chappell (15.5 points per game), Callum McCrae (11.6 points per game) and Akol Mawein (10.6 points per game).  Chappell leads Sac State with his 43.1% shooting from beyond the arc, 25 made three-point field goals and 81.4% shooting from the line.  He is tied with Gianni Hunt each with a team high 14 steals.  McCrae has blocked a team high 12 shots and leads the Hornets with his 9.1 rebounding average.  Cameron Wilbon is tied with Hunt for the team lead in assists each with 33. This will be an exhibition game for Stan State, but the Hornets own a 21-14 in the all-time series.

CHICO STATE IN REVIEW: The Wildcats are 5-5 overall and 3-2 in the CCAA.  They have won three of their last four games including a 94-53 non-conference win over Pacific Union on December 18.  Chico State is averaging 77.6 points per game while giving up 76.5 points per game.  The Wildcats are winning the battle of the board with their opponents 35.1 to 34.0.  Three players are averaging double digits in scoring in Jojo Murphy (20.6 ppg), Joshua Hamilton (12.8 ppg) and Evan Oliver (11.2 ppg).  Trae Taylor leads the team with his 61.5% shooting from the field.  Murphy has made a team leading 22 three-point field goals and also leads Chico State with his 83.3% shooting from the line and 44% shooting from beyond the arc.  Justin Vigil leads Chico with his 6.1 rebounding average while Hamilton has a team high 40 assists. Oliver leads the Wildcats with his 23 steals.

LAST TIME: Chico State defeated the Warriors 64-55 on November 26 in Chico behind Jojo Murphy's 18 points.  He was one of three Wildcats to score in double figures with Brennan Wheeler adding 11 points and Evan Oliver chipping in 10 points.  The Wildcats won the battle of the board with Stan State, 50-38 as Justin Vigil had 11 rebounds.  Marlon Short had his second double-double of the season for the Warriors with 16 points and 10 rebounds.  Benno Zecic added 12 points for the visitors while Kobe Ordonio chipped in 11 points and Noel Alexander Jr. added 10 points.

ALL-TIME SERIES: Chico State leads the all-time series with the Warriors 23-11 after its win over Stan State on November 26.  The Wildcats have won the last five meetings in a row between the two teams.  The last Stan State win was a 74-66 victory on November 21, 2019 in Chico.  The Warriors last defeated Chico State in Turlock on February 8, 2018, an 88-78 victory. 

LIVE STATS:  For live stats of the game with Sac State on December 28, go to http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=424958 and to listen to Bryan Nelson call the game go to http://bluechipbroadcasting.com/. To watch the game at Sac State, go to https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=57c02892-cc3c-4ea1-9c86-f98b901877f7.

LIVE STATS/VIDEO:  To view the live stats of the Chico State, go to https://warriorathletics.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary and for the CCAA network go to www.ccaanetwork.com/Stan.  You can also listen to Bryan Nelson call the game at listen to Bryan Nelson call the game go to http://bluechipbroadcasting.com/.
 
The CCAA network has a monthly subscription rate of $9.95, which can watch any CCAA sport that is hosted at any CCAA institution during that 30-day period.

UP NEXT:  After its game with Chico State on New Year's Day, Stan State will continue its four-game home stand on January 5 hosting Cal State East Bay at 7:30pm and January 7 hosting Cal State Dominguez Hills at 3pm.  The Warriors will conclude their home stand hosting No. 15 Cal State San Bernardino on January 12 at 7:30pm and Cal Poly Pomona on January 14 at 3pm.