SAN FRANCISCO - The usual suspects - Cory Edwards, Christine Vest, Renee Goldoff, and Natasha Smith - hit key buckets down the stretch as the Chico State women's basketball team won a tight 51-49 game on the road at San Francisco State. It was the spark that seldom-used Samantha Oelsner provided which may have been the biggest key to the victory, however. Oelsner entered the game for the first time with five minutes remaining and dished out two assists and grabbed an important steal as the Wildcats held off the Gators down the stretch.

Chico State improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with the win. San Francisco State fell to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the CCAA. Both teams finished the first weekend of CCAA action in a five-way tie for fourth place.

Vest finished with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists to help lead the Wildcats. Goldoff scored 11 points and pulled down seven boards. Edwards finished with eight points and six rebounds. Smith chipped in seven points and dished out a game-high five assists.

Chico State never trailed in the opening half and built its largest lead of the game at 26-18 with 4:12 showing on the clock. The Gators cut the lead to two by the half, however, and never again trailed by more than seven. San Francisco State actually took a one-point lead three times, but each time they did, Chico State took it right back.

The Wildcats took the lead for good, 44-43, on Goldoff's bucket with 5:14 to play. Oelsner assisted on a Vest basket with 4:17 remaining to stretch the lead to three. Edwards went back door and scored on an assist by Oelsner with 1:56 left to again stretch the lead to three. Oelsner's steal with just over a minute remaining eventually led to Smith's shot-clock beating jump shot and a 50-47 advantage with 33 seconds left.

The Wildcats survived flurry in the closing seconds to escape with the win.

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