POMONA – The Chico State women’s basketball team battled back from an 11-point second half deficit for an 11-point victory, 76-65, over Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday night in Kellogg Gym. Natasha Smith led the way for the Wildcats with 21 points on 67 percent shooting, making it the third time this season she has scored over 20 points in a game.
The No. 13 Wildcats improved to 20-5 overall and 13-3 in the CCAA. The 20th win marks the fourth-straight season the Wildcats have reached the 20-win plateau, just the sixth time in the program’s history. Cal Poly dropped to 10-12, 7-9 in conference.
Chico State, battling an illness that slowed down several players, led by eight points with seven minutes left in the first half, but Pomona went on a 10-2 run over the next five minutes to tie up the game for the third time at 25-25 with two minutes remaining. The two teams settled at a 28-28 halftime score.
The beginning of the second half was all Cal Poly Pomona, which built a lead as large as 11 points on two separate occasions, the latest with 12:31 remaining.
The Wildcats slowly chipped away at the deficit. A pair of free throws from Jade Smith-Williams at 12:16 began a 14-2 run and Chico State found itself with a lead, 51-50, and 7:44 remaining on the clock.
The Broncos made a run of their own, converting on a rare 5-point play – a three-pointer from Reyana Colson and a pair of free throws by Unique Anderson, who was fouled on the play - and the Broncos led 55-51 with 7:19 left
But Chico immediately answered again. Amanda Monteith and Audriana Spencer each scored in the next 40 seconds to tie the game at 55-55. A pair of free throws from Pomona’s Khiara Ferguson gave the Broncos their final lead of the night at 57-55 with 6:19 left.
A three-pointer from Natasha Smith sparked the Wildcats, as they pulled away with a 13-3 run over the next two-plus minutes and held on for the win.
In addition to Smith’s 21 points, Audriana Spencer scored 17 and Amanda Monteith had 15. Jade Smith-Williams recorded a season-high 10 assists to go along with 12 points, which included a perfect 10-of-10 performance from the free throw line. Melissa Richardson led the team with six rebounds.
Colson led the Broncos with a game-high 25 points and Andrea Ohlssen had nine for the Broncos.
The Wildcats return to Acker Gym next weekend to take on Sonoma State on Friday (6 pm) and Humboldt State on Saturday (5:30 pm).
Official Basketball Box Score
Chico State vs Cal Poly Pomona
02/16/08 5:30 p.m. at Pomona, Calif.
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VISITORS: Chico State 20-5, 13-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
21 RICHARDSON, Melissa. f 2-5 2-3 0-0 1 5 6 3 6 0 0 0 0 27
22 MONTEITH, Amanda.... f 5-6 0-0 5-7 0 4 4 5 15 0 0 1 2 24
24 SPENCER, Audriana... c 7-10 3-3 0-0 0 4 4 2 17 1 2 0 0 35
03 SMITH-WILLIAMS, Jade g 1-6 0-0 10-10 0 0 0 1 12 10 4 0 2 37
11 SMITH, Natasha...... g 8-12 4-6 1-1 1 2 3 3 21 5 2 0 1 29
20 LYDON, Taylor....... 0-3 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 11
23 OELSNER, Sam........ 0-4 0-2 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4
40 WASHINGTON, Ashley.. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5
41 EDWARDS, Cory....... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 6
42 VEST, Christine..... 1-2 0-0 3-4 2 2 4 2 5 0 3 0 0 22
TEAM................ 2 2 4
Totals.............. 24-49 9-16 19-23 6 19 25 21 76 18 12 1 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-27 40.7% 2nd Half: 13-22 59.1% Game: 49.0% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-7 42.9% 2nd Half: 6-9 66.7% Game: 56.3% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-5 60.0% 2nd Half: 16-18 88.9% Game: 82.6% 3
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HOME TEAM: Cal Poly Pomona 10-12, 7-9
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
20 OHLSSEN, Andrea..... f 2-5 2-4 3-3 0 1 1 3 9 1 5 0 1 25
32 DOMINGUEZ, Vanessa.. f 2-5 0-0 4-6 1 6 7 3 8 1 1 1 2 34
14 REED, Natasha....... c 1-4 0-0 0-0 2 2 4 2 2 1 1 0 0 12
05 ANDERSON, Unique.... g 1-5 0-0 2-2 2 2 4 2 4 2 1 0 1 28
25 COLSON, Reyana...... g 8-20 1-2 8-9 2 3 5 4 25 5 2 0 5 31
02 BRICK, Cassey....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 6
04 McVICAR, Sarah...... 1-3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 12
10 MOODY, Ashley....... 0-3 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 15
22 FERGUSON, Khiara.... 0-0 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1
23 PINEDA, Anna........ 1-2 0-1 0-0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 0 3
24 GUTIERREZ, Shannon.. 2-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4
34 KIRKSEY, Porsche.... 0-1 0-0 2-2 1 2 3 2 2 0 1 0 1 21
40 JOSHI, Neha......... 1-4 1-3 2-2 0 0 0 1 5 0 1 0 0 8
TEAM................ 7 3 10
Totals.............. 19-54 4-11 23-26 17 20 37 19 65 10 16 1 10 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-26 34.6% 2nd Half: 10-28 35.7% Game: 35.2% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-6 33.3% 2nd Half: 2-5 40.0% Game: 36.4% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 8-9 88.9% 2nd Half: 15-17 88.2% Game: 88.5% 2
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Officials: Debbie Kotani, Mike Marsh , Melissa Banal
Technical fouls: Chico State-None. Cal Poly Pomona-None.
Attendance: 281
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Chico State................... 28 48 - 76
Cal Poly Pomona............... 28 37 - 65
Points in the paint-CSUC 16,CPP 14. Points off turnovers-CSUC 15,CPP 13.
2nd chance points-CSUC 8,CPP 17. Fast break points-CSUC 2,CPP 4.
Bench points-CSUC 5,CPP 17. Score tied-6 times. Lead changed-4 times.
Last FG-CSUC 2nd-03:47, CPP 2nd-01:24.
Largest lead-CSUC by 11 2nd-00:17, CPP by 11 2nd-13:24.
