For the past two seasons, the Chico State women’s basketball team has relied heavily on point guard Courtney Hamilton to keep the offense flowing, distributing the ball and setting her teammates up for high-percentage shots. The sophomore from Walnut Creek did all that and much more this past weekend, keeping the Wildcats’ offense productive while also posting some impressive scoring and rebounding numbers in big roads wins over Cal State East Bay and No. 22 Cal State Monterey Bay. For her all-around efforts, Hamilton is the latest Wildcat of the Week.
Friday against Cal State East Bay, Hamilton scored seven points, knocked down her lone 3-point field goal attempt, grabbed five rebounds and doled out a pair of assists while also hitting two clutch free throws in the game’s final seconds to help the Wildcats beat the Pioneers, 60-51. Hamilton enjoyed an even bigger night in Saturday’s 63-58 victory over nationally-ranked Cal State Monterey Bay, draining every shot she took (3-for-3 from the field, 4-for-4 from the foul line) to match her career high of 10 points. She also hauled in a career-best seven rebounds and dished out two assists as the ’Cats upset the host Otters.
Hamilton is averaging 4.8 points a game for the Wildcats so far this season, and she currently ranks fourth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in assists (3.1 a game) and third among conference players in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2).
Chico State returns to Acker Gym this weekend, hosting Sonoma State Friday and Humboldt State Saturday in a pair of key CCAA matchups. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.