Cal State San Bernardino thrust itself back into the CCAA title picture Saturday night with a 75-57 win over Chico State for its third straight win, helping create a logjam in first place in the conference. 
    CSUSB's win combined with losses by previously unbeaten UC San Diego, 63-61 to Cal State Dominguez Hills, and Cal State Monterey Bay, 77-71, to Humboldt State, boosted the Coyotes into a tie with the Tritons, Toros, Otters and Lumberjacks at 3-1. 
    “I think that's the way it's going to be the rest of the season,” said Coyotes Head Coach Jeff Oliver. “I think it will come down to who can win on the road and take care of their home court advantage.” 
    The Coyotes, now 5-5 on the season, will face Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday night and entertain the co-leading Tritons at Friday night. 
    Leading the charge for the Coyotes Saturday night were junior Brandon Brown with a game-high 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots and two steals. Junior Lawrence Tyson scored 18 points and Tim Denson added 13 points and six assists. 
    Senior Andy Bocian, the CCAA's leading scorer, led the Wildcats, 4-7 overall and 1-3 in the CCAA, with 18 points. Nick Lonnegren had a game-high 11 rebounds for Chico State. Point guard Justin Argenal had five assists and four steals. 
    The Coyotes shot 49 percent from the field – 26 of 53 and 31 percent from three-point land (five of 16) but 72 percent at the foul line (18 of 25). CSUSB outrebounded the visitors 39-32. Chico shot 38 percent (23 of 63) and made just five of 27 from long range (18.5 percent) and were just six of 12 from the free throw line (50 percent). 
    CSUSB took a 16-point lead late in the first half on a layup by Denson with 3:28 remaining before the break. However, the Wildcats trimmed the lead to 11, trailing 32-21 at intermission. 
    Chico pulled to within three points at 32-29 early in the second half on a layup by Bocian but the Coyotes maintained a four to eight point advantage until the 8:58 mark when DuBois Williams layup gave CSUSB a 10-point lead at 53-43.. 
    The Coyotes made it 60-45 on a pair of free throws by Tyson before the Wildcats rallied to get back within seven at 62-55 on a three-pointer by Bocian with 2:32 left. 
    However, the Coyotes responded with a 13-2 run in the final two minutes to even their 2008-09 record at 5-5 and avenge a 63-60 upset loss to the Wildcats that they suffered last Feb. 15 in Coussoulis Arena, one of only three victories for Chico in the CCAA that season. 
    CSUSB has now won five of the last six meetings and leads the series 19-6.