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Cal Poly Pomona comes up big in crunch time, nips Wildcats 53-48
Kristin Marquardt came off the bench to score six big points in the second half, but the Wildcats came up short, losing to Cal Poly Pomona 53-48.
2/5/2010 8:02:32 PM
POMONA – The Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team has made a habit out of winning close games – the Broncos are an impressive 6-1 this season in games decided by six points or less. That penchant for winning the squeakers came in handy Friday, as the Broncos engaged in a tight contest with Chico State, and like their first meeting this season – a two-point Pomona win – the Broncos emerged victorious, using two early second half runs and two critical buckets in the final two minutes to hand the Wildcats a disappointing 53-48 defeat at Kellogg Gymnasium.
With the loss, Chico State drops to 11-8 on the season and into fifth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with an 8-6 conference mark. Cal Poly Pomona improves to 15-4 overall and moves into a tie for second place with Humboldt State in the CCAA standings with a 12-3 conference record.
The Wildcats and Broncos played it close for most of the first half – Christine Vest and Synchro Bull combined for 10 early points for the ’Cats – before Cal Poly Pomona took a 16-12 lead courtesy of a Reyana Colson 3-point jumper. Chico State responded with a 10-2 run, highlighted by a Natasha Smith 3-point play, that put the Wildcats in front, 22-18. Two baskets by Colson late in the period brought Pomona back and knotted up the contest, and at halftime it was all even at 22 apiece.
The Broncos came roaring out of the gate in the second half, scoring 10 of the period’s first 12 points – Megan Ford, held scoreless in the first half, bookended the run with layups as Pomona went up 32-24. 3-pointers by Smith and Melissa Richardson whittled the Broncos lead to four, but the Broncos answered with an 11-4 run to extend their advantage to 11. Down 45-34, Chico State got some big buckets as Kristin Marquart put in a trio of layups and Taylor Lydon drained a 3-pointer to lead a 12-4 Wildcat run and pull to within three with 2:20 to play. But Pomona squashed any hope of a ’Cats comeback as Ford made a layup with 1:44 to go…then after Bull answered with a hook shot, the Broncos’ Stephisha Walton hit a layup with just 11 second left to give Pomona the 53-48 lead and the ballgame.
Bull led all Wildcat scorers with 13 points, with Smith adding eight and Richardson seven…Chico State as a team shot 42.6 percent on the night. Colson was the game’s high scorer with 18 points, while Ford added 11 for the victorious Broncos, who shot nearly 47 percent in beating the Wildcats for the second time this season.
BOX SCORE
Chico State is back in action Saturday, as they travel to Coussoulis Arena to take on the Coyotes of Cal State San Bernardino. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.; hear all the action with Mike Baca calling the play-by-play on ESPN 101.7 FM locally or on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website.
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Wildcats of the Week
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Women's Basketball
Before the 2009-10 even got underway, Chico State women’s basketball Head Coach Brian Fogel described junior guard Natasha Smith as “the key to our success.” Truer words have never spoken, as Smith has turned her already impressive game up a notch to lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional title game. Her efforts have netted the Sacramento native her third Wildcat of the Week honor this season.
Smith earned All-NCAA Championship Tournament West Region Team honors by averaging 14 points, 7.7 assists, five rebounds, and three steals per game during the Wildcats’ run to the Sweet 16 and West Region title game.
Friday against third seeded Western Washington, Smith scored 15 points, snared four rebounds, dished out five assists and made three steals as the Wildcats downed the Vikings 79-68. Saturday versus Humboldt State, the All-CCAA first team selection was even better, posting her second career double-double with 15 points and 10 assists, while hauling in a team-high eight rebounds and five steals in Chico State’s come-from-behind 86-76 victory over the Lumberjacks. Monday, in the regional title game against Seattle Pacific, Smith finished with 12 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and a steal while drawing the defensive assignment against Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year Daesha Henderson and limiting her to just five points on 1-of-10 shooting.
Smith, who led the CCAA in free throw percentage (.824) and assists (134), also led the ’Cats in scoring (11.5 points per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.44). She continues to move up the Chico State career records ladder with each contest. With one year of eligibility still remaining, Smith ranks ninth all-time in scoring, sixth in assists, seventh in free throws and 10th in career steals and 3-pointers.
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Baseball
Chico State right fielder Adam Arakawa continued his torrid start to 2010 with four more multi-hit games, finishing 9-for-15, to lead the Wildcats to a series split a four-game series at Cal State San Bernardino over the weekend. The CCAA Player of the Week one week ago, he's been dubbed the Wildcat of the Week this week.
Arakawa doubled twice, scored six times, drove in three runs, and walked three times against San Bernardino. He also recorded the 100th hit of his career and has now registered two or more hits in eight straight games and 12 of the last 13 to raise his average to .493. He is hitting .633 over his past eight games and .571 over his last 13.
In Friday’s 8-5 victory, Arakawa went 2-for-5 and scored a run. He also singled in the 10th as the Wildcats scored three runs to win. He went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored as the Wildcats dropped first game of a doubleheader Saturday. In the second game, Arakawa went 3-for-3 with a walk, double, run and two RBI. His third hit of that game was the 100th of his Chico State career. Arakawa finished the weekend by going 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, and an RBI in Chico State’s 20-5 win.
Arakawa leads the Wildcats in batting average (.493) hits (37), runs (33) walks (17) total bases (59), slugging percentage (.787) and on-base percentage (.581). His batting average and slugging percentage are both tops in the CCAA.
Arakawa was the West Region Gold Glove recipient last season and an Honorable Mention All-American, and has not committed an error in 44 chances this season.
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3.16.10 | Women's Basketball
Before the 2009-10 even got underway, Chico State women’s basketball Head Coach Brian Fogel described junior guard Natasha Smith as “the key to our success.” Truer words have never spoken, as Smith has turned her already impressive game up a notch to lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional title game. Her efforts have netted the Sacramento native her third Wildcat of the Week honor this season.
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3.16.10 | Women's Basketball
The public is invited join Chico State faculty and staff in welcoming the Chico State women’s basketball team home from the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional in Seattle this afternoon. The Wildcats, won won 23 games this season and advanced to the Sweet 16, are scheduled to arrive in front of Acker Gym at approximately 2:40 p.m. We would love to have a big crowd there to help the Wildcats celebrate one of the most successful seasons in the history of the program.
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3.15.10 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE, Wash. – As the sixth seed, the Chico State women’s basketball team was definitely the Cinderella of the NCAA Championship Tournament West Region final against the No. 1 seed, Seattle Pacific. Despite the fact that the host Falcons had won 13 in a row entering Monday’s contest, the Wildcats had won 15 of their last 17, averaged over 82 points in their two West Region victories, and liked their chances of pulling off the upset. But the glass slipper the ’Cats had hoped to wear to the ultimate dance – the Elite Eight – was smashed at Royal Brougham Pavilion, as Seattle Pacific won the West Region title and ended Chico State’s 2009-10 season with a 76-68 victory.
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3.14.10 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE, Wash. – Sunday was a day for the Chico State women’s basketball team to do some sightseeing, visit the Space Needle, dine family style at Buca di Beppo, savor a hard-earned victory, and prepare for the team’s next big challenge – to bring home the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional title and advance to the Elite Eight for the second time in the program’s history. On the heels of Saturday’s 86-76 victory over Humboldt State, the ’Cats enjoyed a relaxing day off before turning their attention to Monday’s West Regional championship game showdown with No. 1 seed Seattle Pacific. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Royal Brougham Pavilion. CLICK HERE TO VISIT TOURNAMENT CENTRAL.
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3.13.10 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE, Wash. – Very seldom does a college basketball team get the opportunity for retribution just one week after suffering a humbling defeat. But the Chico State Wildcats, walloped by 30 points at the hands of Humboldt State in last Saturday’s California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Conference Championship Tournament title game, got even when it counted – with the entire season hanging in the balance. The Wildcats posted their biggest offensive night of the 2009-10 campaign, outscoring the Lumberjacks 36-14 in the final 10 minutes Saturday to hand Humboldt an 86-76 loss in the NCAA Championship Tournament West Region semifinals at Seattle Pacific University’s Royal Brougham Pavilion. The win earned the ’Cats a spot in Monday’s West Region final for the fourth time in six years, and the chance to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
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3.12.10 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE, Wash. – The Chico State Wildcats women’s basketball team has advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional, where the sixth-seeded Wildcats will take on the No.7 seed, California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rival Humboldt State, Saturday beginning at 5:00 p.m. at Royal Brougham Pavilion. The winner will earn a spot in Monday’s tournament title game. Saturday’s other West Regional semifinal game pits No. 1 seed Seattle Pacific against fourth-seeded University of Alaska Anchorage. CLICK HERE TO VISIT TOURNAMENT CENTRAL.
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3.12.10 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE – Head Coach Brian Fogel was so proud of his Chico State women’s basketball team following Friday’s 79-68 upset of Western Washington in the first round of the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional, he was wiping the tears from his eyes during his postgame radio interview with Wildcats’ play-by-play man Mike Baca. It perfectly encapsulated the pure emotion the ’Cats, the No. 6 seed, put on the Brougham Pavilion floor for 40 solid minutes, eliminating a Vikings squad – ranked No. 18 in the nation – that had beaten Chico State by 21 points earlier in the year. The Wildcats, rallying from eight down early in the second half, broke open a close contest in the final three minutes, and now advance to semifinal action Saturday afternoon.
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