CHICO – A second-half explosion was key for the Chico High School JV boys basketball team in a 68-58 win over visiting Foothill Tuesday.

By winning, the Panthers finished 14-0 in Eastern Athletic League competition, 22-4 on the year.

Chico trailed 14-12 after the first quarter and tied it 28-28 by halftime. They used a 22-16 burst in the third quarter before building a little insurance in the fourth.

Zack Seibert and David Stidham each had 15 points to lead the winners while McCallan Stein scored 12 and Aaron Chu had eight.

"Stein and Cole Matlock played played some great basketball. The two combined (with back help from their teammates) to hold Foothill center Kenny Fudge to just eight points," said Chico coach Abe Simmons.

Stein ripped down six boards to go along with his 12 points while Matlock secured five rebounds to complement his five points.

"Our guards played great tonight – they ran the floor with gusto, moved the ball with precision, and kept their heads up while attacking the hoop, looking for open teammates the entire contest. The result was a lot of easy shots right around the rim," Simmons added.

"To play man-to-man defense the correct way as an individual and team, it takes a combination of physical and mental toughness. It's a difficult skill to master. With the exception of about six combined minutes the entire year, this team played nothing but man defense which is a tribute to the boys' character," he added.

"To play 14 games in league and be successful in each of them is a nice run. It's something that hasn't happened too many times."