CHICO – By Head Coach Brian Fogel’s own admission, the wins racked up by the Chico State’s women’s basketball team so far this season haven’t exactly been polished works of art, but the fact remains that the Wildcats have done what’s been needed to bolt to a 9-1 season record and claim a share of first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). After beating Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills to close out 2010, the ’Cats open the new year needing to put their best effort on the floor when they host two more conference opponents this weekend, as UC San Diego invades Acker Gym Friday, with Cal State East Bay coming to town on Saturday. Both contests are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
Chico State will put its perfect 6-0 conference record on the line against the Tritons and Pioneers in the Wildcats’ first home games since Dec. 4. The ’Cats have won each of their five games at Acker Gym this season, including victories over CCAA rivals Cal State Stanislaus, Humboldt State and Sonoma State. Chico State picked up two road wins last week following a nearly three week holiday break, topping Cal State L.A. 68-58 on Dec. 30, then downing Cal State Dominguez Hills the following afternoon 71-59 at the Torodome.
The Wildcats have excelled in just about every facet of the game so far this season, and are ranked among the top five teams in the conference in practically all the significant team statistical categories. Entering the weekend, Chico State is fifth in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 67.5 points a game, and boasts the conference’s fourth-best defense, allowing opponents just 57.9 points a night. The Wildcats lead the CCAA in rebounding (41.2 boards a game) and 3-point field goal percentage (38.3), and are second in the conference in assists (averaging 14.9 a game) and free throw percentage (72.1).
Molly Collins is Chico State’s top scorer, averaging 9.2 points to go along with 5.6 rebounds a game. Pauline Ferrall contributes 9.0 points a night for the Wildcats, while Taylor Lydon – who has averaged 13.3 points in her last four games and is the team’s top 3-point shooter with 16 treys – is averaging 7.6 points and 5.0 rebounds on the season. Kristin Marquardt is averaging 6.8 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds for the 9-1 ’Cats.
UC San Diego, Chico State’s Friday night opponent, is 6-7 overall, but is currently one of the CCAA’s hottest teams, having won six of its last eight after beginning the season 0-5. The Tritons are in a tie with Cal State Stanislaus for fifth place in the CCAA with a 4-2 conference mark. UC San Diego, which won the CCAA regular season title and reached the NCAA West Regional last season, has suffered three overtime losses in 2010-11, including a triple-overtime thriller to Grand Canyon back on Nov. 14. But despite those heartbreaking setbacks, reigning conference Coach of the Year Charity Elliott has the Tritons hitting on all cylinders entering the new year – UC San Diego shot 61 percent from the field and nailed 13 3-pointers in dispatching of Cal State East Bay 82-44 on Monday.
UC San Diego features a high-powered offense, scoring a CCAA-best 78.2 points a game. The Tritons do the majority of their damage from beyond the arc, averaging nearly 23 3-point attempts a night. UC San Diego makes the most of its scoring opportunities, leading the conference in field goal percentage (43.4), free throw percentage (76.7) and assists (16.5 a game), while ranking third in 3-point shooting percentage (36.1). The Tritons have needed all that offense, because they’ve given up a lot of points – UC San Diego enters the weekend next to last in the CCAA in defense, allowing 69.8 points a game.
The Tritons feature four of the CCAA’s top 20 scorers, led by All-American and last season’s conference Player of the Year, Chelsea Carlisle. The junior guard is enjoying another MVP-type season, ranking second in the CCAA in scoring (19.7 points a game) and leading the conference in assists (5.8 a contest) and 3-pointers (33). Sophomore guard Emily Osga is averaging 13.6 points a game – eighth best in the CCAA – and dishes out 3.7 assists a contest, while junior guard Daisy Feder averages 11.5 points nightly and is the Tritons’ No. 2 3-point threat with 29 treys on the season. Junior center Lauren Freidenberg is averaging 10.6 points and 6.4 rebounds a game while shooting 54.4 percent from the field.
Chico State and UC San Diego split its two head-to-head matchups last season – the Tritons beat the Wildcats 75-62 Jan. 7 at RIMAC Arena in La Jolla, with Chico State posting a 77-67 victory Feb. 13 at Acker Gym. All-time, UC San Diego has a slight edge, beating the ’Cats 12 times in 23 meetings dating back to 1999.
Cal State East Bay, which takes on the Wildcats Saturday following its Friday game in Turlock versus Cal State Stanislaus, is 0-10 on the season and is tied for 11th place in the CCAA with an 0-6 conference mark. The Pioneers’ 82-44 defeat at the hands of UC San Diego Monday was the team’s 17th loss in the last 18 games, going back to last season.
Cal State East Bay has had trouble generating much offense so far in 2010-11 – the Pioneers are averaging just 46.1 points a game (11th among CCAA teams) and have connected for just 35 3-pointers this season. The Pioneers do a much better job defensively, holding opponents to just 62.6 points a contest.
Sophomore forward Lauren Lucchesi is averaging 7.9 points a game and is Cal State East Bay's top 3-point shooter with 12 on the season, while sophomore forward Marlene MacMillan ranks fifth in the CCAA in rebounding, pulling down 8.5 boards a contest.
Chico State swept the season series last year, beating Cal State East Bay 78-60 Jan. 9 in Hayward and again at Acker Gym Feb. 12 by a final of 67-52. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 48-11 and have won 13 straight meetings since 1993, when the Pioneers were known as Hayward State.
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 and through the Wildcat Athletics website, with Mike Baca and Mike Wessels providing the play-by-play.
