CHICO, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team put up a good battle, but fell short on the road to Chico State, the No. 14 ranked team in the nation, on Friday evening. 

The Pioneers (7-14, 3-11 CCAA) have lost four straight, while the Wildcats win their fifth in a row to improve to 17-3 overall and 11-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). 

The game was extremely tight throughout the night, with Chico taking just a one-point lead into halftime at 27-26. The Wildcats held the advantage most of the second half, but it wasn't until the final minutes that the home team sealed the victory.

The Pioneers actually out-rebounded the Wildcats, 31 to 28, thanks to 12 offensive boards. But ultimately, East Bay's shooting wasn't quite up to stuff. The visitors finished the game at just 36.4 percent from the field, including 5-for-16 from three-point range and 11-for-16 from the free throw line. Chico, meanwhile, shot 53.7 percent from the floor, led by a red-shot Isaiah Ellis with 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting.

Junior Paramvir Singh had it going early for the Pioneers, knocking down all three of his attempts from long distance and scoring all nine of his points in the first half.

Fellow junior Jalen Richard did his damage in the second half, notching 20 of his team-high 22 points after the break. He surpassed 20 points for the seventh time this season, going 7-for-19 from the field. Richard was also the only Pioneer besides Singh to hit a three, finishing 2-for-7 from deep. 

Senior Alex Carmon also reached double figures with 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting. Ryan Okwudibonye added six points, while Jack Pasquini and Patrick Marr paced the Pioneers with five rebounds each.

East Bay turned in a strong defensive effort, holding the Wildcats to 64 points and controlling the glass consistently. It's the second straight time this season the team has nearly upset Chico State, as the Wildcats escaped Pioneer Gym with a 57-54 win back in December.

CSUEB now has a quick turnaround and a trip down highway 99 to take on Stanislaus State on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.