CHICO – The Chico State women’s basketball team is right in the middle of a critical part of its 2010-11 schedule, and with just four home games left on the season, the Wildcats will need to continue the program’s dominance at Acker Gym to keep pace in the extremely competitive California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Since the 2004-05 season, the ’Cats have posted an impressive 75-10 record on the home hardwood, and this weekend they’ll have a chance to bolster those gaudy numbers as Cal State Dominguez Hills visits Acker Gym Friday, with Cal State L.A. coming to town on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
Chico State, which has lost four of its last six games, enters the weekend 11-5 overall and in fifth place in the CCAA standings with an 8-4 conference mark. The Wildcats split their home series last weekend, beating San Francisco State 59-46 on Friday before bowing to unbeaten Cal State Monterey Bay Saturday 51-38. The loss was just the second in nine home games for the ’Cats this season.
The Chico State offense has been sputtering of late – though the Wildcats rank seventh in the CCAA, averaging 62.3 points a game, they have scored over 60 points just once in the last six contests and are averaging only 53.7 points a contest over that stretch. The ’Cats are coming off a miserable performance against Monterey Bay, misfiring on all 13 of their 3-point attempts and shooting just 22.6 percent on the night – the lowest single- game shooting percentage by a Chico State women’s basketball team in nearly eight years.
The Wildcat defense, though, has been solid. Chico State is fifth in the CCAA, allowing just 57.4 points a game, and in the last five contests, the Wildcats have surrendered just 53.4 points a night. The ’Cats rank second in the conference in assists (15.0 a game); third in rebounding (38.4 a contest) and 3-point field goal percentage (36.3); fourth in free throw percentage (70.7), and fifth in field goal percentage (40.0).
Individually, Molly Collins has worked her way into the CCAA’s top 25 in scoring, averaging 9.4 points a game; she remains one of the conference’s top free throw shooters, making 93.9 percent of her four shots. Courtney Hamilton is second in the CCAA in assists (4.6 per game), and ranks high nationally as well – she is the only Division II freshman ranked in the top 50 in assists and one of just two freshmen in the country in the top 50 in assist-to-turnover ratio, sitting in 44th place with a 1.78 average. Courtney Harrison is third in the CCAA in 3-point shooting, averaging 1.9 treys a game.
Cal State Dominguez Hills, Chico State’s Friday night opponent, is 3-13 on the season, but have won two of their last four contests entering the weekend. Despite losing their first 10 games of the season and in a ninth place tie in the CCAA standings with a 3-9 conference record, the revitalized Toros are very much in the hunt for a CCAA Championship Tournament berth. Dominguez Hills split a pair of home games last weekend, beating Sonoma State 55-52 Friday before falling to Humboldt State 75-60 on Saturday. The Toros have lost seven of nine on the road so far this season.
The Toros are 10th in the CCAA in scoring (averaging 49.8 points a game) and 10th in defense (allowing 67.2 points a night)…if fact, Dominguez Hills ranks near the bottom of most conference team statistical categories. The Toros do rank sixth in the CCAA in 3-point field goal percentage (32.6).
Junior guard Nikki Boutte is the top all-around player on the Dominguez Hills roster, leading the team in scoring (10.4 points a game), assists (3.5 a night) and 3-pointers (31). Junior forward Ashley Hudson averages 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds a contest, while freshman guard Hillarie Perrin-Grant, who scored 17 points and hit five 3-pointers in the Toros’ first meeting against Chico State back on Dec. 31, is averaging 7.9 points a game. Tiffany Smith provides Dominguez Hills with solid offense off the bench; the junior forward averages 7.8 points a game, and scored 18 against the Wildcats four weeks ago.
Chico State will be shooting for a season sweep of Dominguez Hills; the Wildcats, behind Katie Girten’s career-high five 3-pointers and 17 points, beat the Toros 71-59 in Carson Dec. 31. Chico State has won 29 of 40 meetings all-time against Dominguez Hills.
Cal State L.A., which comes to Chico following its Friday matchup against Cal State Stanislaus, has had a rough January – the Golden Eagles have lost four straight and seven of eight since starting the season 5-3. Cal State L.A. enters this weekend’s action 6-10 overall and tied with Cal State Dominguez Hills for ninth place in the CCAA with a 3-9 conference mark. The Golden Eagles lost twice at home last weekend, dropping a 71-70 decision to Humboldt State Friday and bowing to Sonoma State 75-68 on Saturday. Cal State L.A. has played fairly well away from the Eagles’ Nest, splitting its six road games so far this season.
The Golden Eagles are ranked eighth in the CCAA in scoring (averaging 61.7 points a game) and eighth in defense (allowing 65.4 points a contest), but are fourth in the conference in steals (8.3 a night) and fifth in field goal percentage (41.1).
Junior forward Lacy Ramon, a Division I transfer from Mercer University who scored 17 against Chico State back on Dec. 30, is the fifth leading scorer in the CCAA, averaging 14.3 points a game to go along with 5.5 rebounds a contest for Cal State L.A. Another former D-I player, junior guard Gretchen Tiernan, is averaging 11.3 points and 4.0 assists a game while connecting on a team-high 29 3-pointers. The Golden Eagles have two other potential scoring threats: junior guard Erika Ruiz (9.7 points a game, 24 3-pointers) and senior center Shatori Dearman (8.9 points, 5.2 rebounds a game).
In the first meeting of the season between Chico State and Cal State L.A., the Wildcats downed the Golden Eagles 68-58 Dec. 30 at the Eagles’ Nest, as Taylor Lydon posted a career-high 19 points in the win. The ’Cats have dominated the all-time series, winning 28 of 35 matchups with Cal State L.A.
Wildcat fans can follow both Friday and Saturday games via Live Stats, available on the Chico State Athletics website. The games will also be broadcast live on ESPN 101.7 and 1340 AM locally, as well as through the Wildcat Athletics website, with Mike Baca and Mike Wessels providing the play-by-play.
