CHICO – The first half of Friday’s game against Cal State Dominguez Hills wasn’t a whole lot of fun for Chico State’s leading scorer, Molly Collins – two quick fouls limited her to just two shots and six minutes of action in the entire period. But the junior guard from Davis made up for the lack of production in the second half, draining six of nine shots – two from 3-point range – to score 16 of her career-high 18 points, teaming up with Pauline Ferrall to account for over half of the Wildcats’ offense in a 55-42 win over the visiting Toros at Acker Gym.
The win, Chico State’s eighth in 10 tries at home this season, pushed the the team’s overall record to 12-5 and moved the Wildcats back into a fourth place tie with UC San Diego in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference standings. Cal State Dominguez Hills dropped to 3-14 on the season and 3-10 in CCAA play.
In addition to the 18 points by Collins (who is averaging 15.3 points in her last three games), Ferrall contributed 12 points and a career-best four blocked shots. Courtney Harrison delivered a great all-around effort for the ’Cats, scoring eight points and posting career highs with nine rebounds and four steals. Chico State’s defense held Cal State Dominguez Hills to just 28 percent shooting; Ashley Hudson led the Toros with 11 points on the night.
The first half was tightly played, with six tie scores and five lead changes in the first 14 minutes of action. A Jazmine Miller layup gave Chico State a 16-13 lead midway through the period, but the Wildcats went nearly four minutes without a field goal, opening the door for the Toros to score six unanswered points and go out in front, 19-16. The ’Cats answered back – Harrison spurred an 11-3 run by knocking down a jumper and a pair of 3-pointers, and Chico State took a 27-22 lead into intermission.
Dominguez Hills kept it close during the first five minutes of the second half, trailing only 31-28 before the Wildcats, with Collins leading the charge with three jumpers, a layup and two 3-pointers, went on a 16-7 run to stretch their lead to 47-35. The ’Cats held the Toros to just three field goals over the final four-and-a-half minutes, and Collins, Katie Girten and Courtney Hamilton each hit a pair of free throws late to ice the 55-42 victory, completing a season sweep of the Toros.
BOX SCORE
The Wildcats are back in action Saturday, hosting Cal State L.A. The Golden Eagles (6-11 overall, 3-10 CCAA) come into Acker Gym on the heels of a 96-73 pasting Friday administered by Cal State Stanislaus, extending Cal State L.A.’s current losing streak to five. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.; fans can follow the game via Live Stats, available on the Chico State Athletics website. The contest will also be broadcast live on ESPN 101.7 and 1340 AM locally and through the Wildcat Athletics website.
