It's been pointed out that I shouldn't have called my take on Chico State's games a "report card" since I didn't offer any grades. So, out of spite, I'm going to do the same thing with this one. Also, grades are arbitrary and while I feel like I know my way around a basketball game better than most folks, there's no tangible way to measure, uh, intangibles.

Moving along nicely...

The men's basketball team picked up its second win and as many in two games to close out the Mac Martin Tournament on Saturday. The difference between this one, a healthy performance against Hawaii Pacific, and Friday's win over Menlo is that the Wildcats were in control nearly all of regulation. Puck Smith was at times, dare I say, content with his squad's execution, and despite Friday's win, that's a far cry from his demeanor against Menlo.

UPS
-- Without question, the biggest factor Saturday was the Wildcats' ability to hit 3s. Darroll Phillips stroked seven of them, heading up a 17-for-27 effort from Chico State that was one short of the school record. Maybe it was because power forward Mike Martin was benched for the game for violating team rules and the Sea Warriors (stupid mascot) wanted to capitalize, but Hawaii Pacific loaded up the interior with defenders and let the Wildcats continue to fire away. Smith doesn't want to live and die behind the 3-point line, but if it's there, it's a good sign for Chico State that the Wildcats can take advantage.

-- Speaking of Martin, his replacement came in the form of true freshman Rod Hawkins, who contributed 10 points in his first collegiate start. Bench play was big for the Wildcats, as 25 points came from non-starters. The play of Andrew Ferrin, Jesse Soto and Hawkins was the deciding factor in the final minutes.

-- Justin Argenal continues to expertly run Chico State's offense, not only with his assists (he had nine Saturday) but his leadership. The man loves watching his teammates do well, and he likes helping them do it even more. I've never seen a player get so pumped over watching a teammate fight for an offensive rebound as Argenal did when Ferrin tied up a loose ball and was slammed to the ground. You want leadership and chemistry? That's the kind of thing that builds both.

DOWNS
-- Chico State allowed a 24-point lead to whittle down to three in the second half, and that's absolutely got to be avoided if the Wildcats want to make any noise in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Their next game is at Cal State Stanislaus, and if they can't maintain pressure and momentum -- something they failed to do all 40 minutes Saturday -- the outcome is guaranteed to not be as pretty.

-- It's nice for Chico State to have all those 3-pointers, because when you think of some of the school's more successful teams, there was always someone to hit the open 3. But the fact that the shots were falling really bailed out an absolute refusal from Hawaii Pacific to allow points in the paint, and the Wildcats need to be able to force that hand. Frank Igbekoyi couldn't get it going, and Martin's absence probably affected it some, but balance will be non-existent if Chico State continues to get just 14 points in the paint.

The Wildcats got a glimpse of some conference opposition at their own tournament, watching Sonoma State beat both Hawaii Pacific and Menlo. It took overtime for the Seawolves, picked to finish fifth in the CCAA, to beat the Oaks. It's a little early to start sizing up the conference based on preseason games against like opponents, but it could be a positive sign for Chico State that it had less trouble putting Menlo away.