Stepping up to deliver for your team in a clutch situation – a daunting task, even for the most game-tested veteran. Chico State women’s basketball player Courtney Hamilton, in the midst of her freshman season, has stepped up time and time again. Running the point, Hamilton has been the Wildcats’ go-to ball handler and distributor all season, but last Saturday Hamilton emphatically earned her “pressure situation” stripes by sinking four clutch free throws in the game’s final seconds to beat Cal State L.A. and keep Chico State in the thick of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference title race. Hamilton’s heroics have earned the Walnut Creek native Wildcat of the Week honors.
Hamilton played a key role in both Chico State victories over the weekend. Friday against Cal State Dominguez Hills, she did a little of everything, scoring four points, handing out three assists, grabbing a pair of rebounds and registering a steal in the Wildcats’ 55-42 victory over the Toros. Hamilton, though, saved her best performance for Saturday against Cal State L.A. – twice in the final 35 seconds, she snapped a tie ballgame by coolly and calmly connecting on two free throw attempts; the final two foul shots providing the winning points in Chico State’s 63-60 squeaker over the Golden Eagles. Hamilton finished the contest with six points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals.
Hamilton currently ranks second in the CCAA in assists, averaging 4.5 a game. She is also No. 2 in the nation among Division II freshmen in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.84). Hamilton is on pace to finish the season with one of the top 10 single season assist totals in Chico State history.
Hamilton and the Wildcats play six of their final eight regular season games on the road, starting this Thursday in Rohnert Park against Sonoma State. Saturday the ’Cats will be in Arcata to take on Humboldt State. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
