LOS ANGELES – The Chico State women’s basketball team earned a second chance at first place with its win Friday night. Saturday night the Wildcats made sure to take full advantage by running out to a 43-16 lead en route to a 77-54 win at Cal State L.A. They kept their grip on a share of the California Collegiate Athletic Association lead in the process.
The Wildcats, who entered the weekend ranked No. 21 in the nation, wrapped up the first half of the CCAA slate with an 8-2 mark and improved to 15-4 overall. They’ve won eight of their last nine games overall and 13 in a row against Cal State L.A. And though the Wildcats still share the conference lead, they share it with one fewer team after Saturday night. Sonoma State was upset at Cal Poly Pomona to fall into a tie for third with UC San Diego. Cal State San Bernardino remains tied for first with Chico State after defeating Humboldt State at home Saturday.
Audriana Spencer led the Wildcats with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including a season-best 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Spencer’s first 3-pointer was the 170th of her career, moving her past former Michelle Pietka into second place on Chico State’s career list. She finished the evening with 173, just seven shy of Kim Abts’ career record of 180.
Renee Goldoff took complete advantage of her 17 minutes of playing time, scoring 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting, pulling down seven rebounds, and dishing out four assists. Melissa Richardson chipped in 13 points and five rebounds, Natasha Smith buried a trio of 3-pointers and finished with nine points, Ashley Washington came off the bench to contribute eight points, and Jade Smith-Williams posted a career-high nine assists to go along with her six points.
Cal State L.A. fell to 6-10 overall and 3-7 in the CCAA. The Golden Eagles got 16 points from Jaemy Oda and 11 points and four steals from Veronica Williams. Chico State outrebounded the hosts 48-27, however, and shot a season-high 54 percent overall (31-57) and 48 percent from 3-point land (10-21). Cal State L.A. shot just 36 percent (23-63) and became the ninth straight Chico State opponent to fail to reach 60 points.
Williams scored the Golden Eagles’ first nine points, but the rest of her team was 0-for-6 with six turnovers over the game’s first nine minutes. Meanwhile, Smith, Spencer, and Smith-Williams scored six points apiece as the Wildcats exploded to a 26-9 lead. Oda became the second Cal State L.A. player to score moments later with a long 3-pointer, but Richardson, Smith and Spencer each answered with 3-pointers of their own, and Goldoff followed with a jumper as the Wildcats built their lead to 37-12 with eight minutes remaining in the first half.
Cal State L.A. tried to mount a comeback, but Spencer, Goldoff, and Washington made consecutive baskets that grew the lead to its largest of the night, 43-16, with four minutes left before intermission. Cal State L.A. trimmed the lead to 55-40 midway through the second half, but could get no closer.
Chico State is back in action next Thursday at home against Cal State Stanislaus. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30.
Official Basketball Box Score
Chico State vs Cal State L.A.
1/26/08 5:30 PM at Cal State L.A.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Chico State 14-4, 7-2 CCAA
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
03 SMITH-WILLIAMS, Jade * 3-3 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 1 6 9 4 0 1 29
11 SMITH, Natasha...... * 3-9 3-6 0-2 1 1 2 2 9 1 1 0 0 27
21 RICHARDSON, Melissa. * 5-8 3-6 0-0 0 5 5 0 13 1 2 0 0 21
22 MONTEITH, Amanda.... * 2-6 0-1 0-0 1 4 5 1 4 1 0 0 0 18
24 SPENCER, Audriana... * 7-11 4-8 0-0 0 5 5 3 18 0 1 0 2 30
12 FOSTER, Brandi...... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 4
20 LYDON, Taylor....... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 1 0 2 2 0 0 13
33 GOLDOFF, Renee...... 6-6 0-0 3-5 2 5 7 1 15 4 1 0 0 17
40 WASHINGTON, Ashley.. 4-7 0-0 0-1 1 1 2 2 8 0 0 0 0 13
41 EDWARDS, Cory....... 1-2 0-0 1-2 2 1 3 4 3 0 4 0 0 12
42 VEST, Christine..... 0-3 0-0 1-2 1 3 4 2 1 1 2 0 1 16
TEAM................ 4 6 10
Totals.............. 31-57 10-21 5-12 13 35 48 17 77 20 19 0 4 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 18-29 62.1% 2nd Half: 13-28 46.4% Game: 54.4% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 8-13 61.5% 2nd Half: 2-8 25.0% Game: 47.6% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 2-6 33.3% 2nd Half: 3-6 50.0% Game: 41.7% 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Cal State L.A. 6-9, 3-6 CCAA
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
00 WILLIAMS, Veronica.. * 5-12 1-5 0-0 2 3 5 0 11 1 1 0 4 33
03 KITCHEN, Ashley..... * 3-5 1-1 0-2 0 0 0 0 7 2 3 0 1 29
04 ODA, Jaemy.......... * 7-18 2-9 0-3 0 1 1 1 16 3 1 0 3 37
15 HERRERA, Yasmeen.... * 1-7 0-0 0-1 3 1 4 4 2 3 1 0 0 28
33 WHITTINGTON, Amber.. * 3-12 0-0 0-0 3 4 7 1 6 0 0 1 0 33
10 JAMES, Shanice...... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 7
12 JOHNSON, Jazzi...... 0-2 0-0 1-2 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 5
13 ESCOBAR, Melissa.... 0-1 0-0 2-2 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 8
21 STOKLEY, Fatimah.... 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1
22 SCOTT, Amanda....... 0-1 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 7
25 RODGERS, Danielle... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
34 OTTOVICH, Rachel.... 3-3 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 3 6 0 0 0 0 11
TEAM................ 1 3 4
Totals.............. 23-63 4-16 4-12 10 17 27 11 54 9 10 2 9 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-26 34.6% 2nd Half: 14-37 37.8% Game: 36.5% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-4 50.0% 2nd Half: 2-12 16.7% Game: 25.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 0-6 0.0% 2nd Half: 4-6 66.7% Game: 33.3% 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Tami Mason, Tracey Sparks, Kathleen Knight
Technical fouls: Chico State-None. Cal State L.A.-TEAM.
Attendance:
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Chico State................... 46 31 - 77
Cal State L.A................. 20 34 - 54
Points in the paint-CSUC 28,CSULA 26. Points off turnovers-CSUC 11,CSULA 12.
2nd chance points-CSUC 13,CSULA 10. Fast break points-CSUC 0,CSULA 0.
Bench points-CSUC 27,CSULA 12. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-1 time.
Last FG-CSUC 2nd-00:56, CSULA 2nd-00:03.
Largest lead-CSUC by 27 1st-04:03, CSULA by 2 1st-17:32.
