Whenever Chico State women’s basketball player Jennifer Rene steps onto the hardwood, she brings a certain spark that’s evident even to the most casual Wildcat fan. It may not always be reflected in the box score, but the junior forward always seems to come off the bench and energize the ’Cats with her spirited play and non-stop hustle. Monday against Cal State Stanislaus, Rene once again provided her unique brand of on-court electricity and filled up the stat sheet as she never had before. Her finest performance ever in a Chico State uniform makes the Riverside native the latest Wildcat of the Week.
In just 16 minutes of action versus the Warriors, Reneposted personal bests in points, rebounds, free throws and blocked shots. Working hard in the paint, she scored a career-high 12 points, hitting four of her seven shots from the field while shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line. Rene also hauled in nine rebounds – six on the offensive end – to share team-high honors with Natasha Smith, and blocked a pair of Stanislaus shots to highlight an equally impressive showing on defense.
With her standout effort Monday, Rene’s season scoring average jumped from 0.9 to 2.3 points per game. She is also making a major contribution to a Chico State frontcourt contingent that is averaging 18.1 rebounds a contest.
Rene and the Wildcats return to action this weekend, taking on Cal State San Bernardino Friday and conference leader UC San Diego Saturday at Acker Gym.
