ARCATA – What’s the old saying: “the third time’s the charm”? The Chico State women’s basketball team is hoping that phrase rings true Friday afternoon at Humboldt State’s Lumberjack Arena – after losing a pair of regular season games to Cal Poly Pomona, the Wildcats square off once again with the Broncos, this time in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament semifinals. The 12:30 p.m. game could very well turn out to be the latest in a long string of classic Wildcat contests, with Chico State’s toughest opponent the only team standing in the way of the ’Cats earning the right to play for their second conference tourney title in three years

Both teams are rolling heading into Friday’s showdown. Chico State – 20-8 on the season and ranked No. 7 in the West Region – has won nine in a row and 12 of its last 13; Cal Poly Pomona (22-5 overall and No. 5 in the West Region) has put together six straight wins and 10 of the last 11. The Wildcats advanced to the CCAA Championship Tournament semifinals with a 72-62 victory Tuesday against San Francisco State, while the Broncos had little problem dispatching of Cal State Bernardino, beating the Coyotes Tuesday 63-46 in first round tourney action.

Cal Poly Pomona beat the Wildcats in their first meeting this season, 65-63 January 3 at Acker Gym. Chico State fared no better on the Broncos’ home floor, dropping a 53-48 decision February 5 at Kellogg Gymnasium. Cal Poly Pomona is no doubt looking to exact a little revenge in Friday’s third meeting with the Wildcats – it was Chico State that knocked the Broncos out of the CCAA Championship Tournament last year with a 45-42 opening round victory.

Chico State head coach Brian Fogel will be looking to the usual suspects to get the Wildcats to the CCAA Championship Tournament title game. Two-time All-CCAA first team selection Natasha Smith is Chico State’s leading scorer, averaging 11.1 points per game, and leads the CCAA in assists, averaging 3.8 per contest. All-CCAA second teamer Melissa Richardson is averaging a career-high 10.9 points per contest; her 53 3-pointers are the fifth most in the CCAA. Synchro Bull is averaging 9.9 points per game, and at a 12.7 point clip in her last nine games. Pauline Ferrall averages 9.2 points a night to go along with five rebounds a contest, while senior Christine Vest is the Wildcats’ top rebounder, averaging six boards per game. Courtney Harrison has suddenly become the team’s “go-to” player off the bench, averaging 11.3 points in her last three games (and that’s while only playing a combined 39 minutes!).

Cal Poly Pomona brings its share of potent weapons to the court. Junior guard Reyana Colson, who was named to the All-CCAA first team for the second straight season, is third in the conference in scoring, averaging 16.7 points a game. Senior guard Stephisha Walton, also a first team all-CCAA selection, contributes 12 points and a team-high 9.5 rebounds a contest, while sophomore center Megan Ford – an All-CCAA second teamer – averages 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds a night. Junior forward La’keny Simon-West is the Broncos’ lone 3-point threat – she’s hit 31 of Cal Poly Pomona’s 74 treys on the season.

Statistically, the two teams are extremely even. Chico State comes into the CCAA Championship Tournament semifinals second in the conference in rebounding (averaging 41.3 boards a game), are third in scoring (averaging 66.8 points a contest), and third in field goal percentage (40.5 percent). The Wildcats lead the CCAA in steals, averaging 11.0 a game, and are second in assists (15.0 per contest). Defensively, the ’Cats are tied for third in the CCAA, allowing 56.7 points per game, and have held opposing teams to just 27.4 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line…second best in the conference. Cal Poly Pomona ranks fifth in the CCAA in offense (averaging 61.3 points a game), leads the conference in team defense (allowing just 53.4 points a night) and is third in rebounding (40.6 boards per contest). Cal Poly Pomona doesn’t attempt many 3-pointers (just 74 treys in 27 games) but makes the most of its scoring attempts, shooting 39.7 percent from the field (fourth best in the conference).

All-time, Chico State has won 19 of 35 meetings with the Broncos, and despite the two losses to Pomona this season, the Wildcats have still won 12 of the last 15 games since 2005.
If Chico State beats Pomona Friday, the Wildcats will take on the winner of the other CCAA Championship Tournament semifinal – Humboldt State or UC San Diego – in the tournament championship game Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Even if Chico State stumbles and is defeated Friday or Saturday, there could still be more basketball in the Wildcats’ future…Chico State will find out this coming Tuesday if they will advance to the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional.
Mike Baca will provide the play-by-play of Friday’s Chico State-Cal Poly Pomona game beginning at 12:05 p.m. on ESPN 101.7 and 1340 AM locally, or on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website. Fans interested in watching the games online can do so by logging onto www.goccaa.org, clicking the Championships page and following the links. Dave Smock, the voice of Cal State Dominguez Hills, will handle play-by-play on the Internet video feed.