CHICO – The 2011-12 edition of the Chico State women’s basketball team got its first taste of game action Sunday, hosting Cal State San Marcos at Acker Gym, and while the two teams displayed some expected early-season sloppiness – the Wildcats and Cougars combined for 53 turnovers on the night – the contest turned out to be an exciting start to the season. San Marcos, an NAIA program in its first year of existence, had already lost close contests to Sonoma State and Humboldt State to open their season, but against the Wildcats, they were not to be denied its first-ever win as a 3-pointer by Justine Chacon with just 10 seconds left in overtime propelled the Cougars to a 65-64 victory.
Jazmine Miller led Chico State with 17 points, while Synchro Bull added 11 and McKenzie Dalthorp registered a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Chacon led all scorers with 20 points, but her San Marcos teammate, Sidney Dobner, posted a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Wildcats shot only 29.6 percent from the field, while San Marcos was a perfect 6-for-6 in overtime on the way to converting 44.3 percent of its field goal attempts. Chico State outrebounded the Cougars, 57-39.
Both teams struggled out of the blocks Sunday, combining for just 18 points through the first 10 minutes of the opening half. San Marcos snapped a 13-all tie with an 11-5 mini-run to go up 24-18 with 3:42 remaining in the period, but despite shooting just 18.2 percent in the half – missing 27 of 33 shots – Chico State trimmed the Cougars lead to four with late free throws by Bull and Ymonne Davidson-Mays. San Marcos went into the locker room with a 24-20 halftime lead.
The Wildcats scored the first five points of the second half to take a 25-24 lead, and after falling behind briefly on a Danielle Cooper layup, Chico State used two Miller free throws, a Davidson-Mays jumper, layups by Bull and Courtney Harrison, and a Sharon Washington 3-pointer to go on an 11-5 run and go back on top, 36-31. San Marcos battled back to tie the contest, and with the score 42-apiece, posted eight of the next 12 points to take a 50-46 lead with 3:08 to go. The Cougars still led by four until Miller buried a 3-pointer with 1:37 left in regulation, and following a San Marcos free throw, Samantha Messersmith delivered a clutch layup for the ’Cats with 15 seconds remaining to tie things up at 51-all. Miller came through with a steal on the defensive end and Chico State had a chance to win it in regulation, but Bull’s jumper in the lane was off the mark as time expired, and the two teams headed to overtime.
The Wildcats struck first in OT on a Miller layup, only to see Chacon nail a 3-pointer to put San Marcos up 54-53. The Cougars were still up by one with 1:21 left when Bull swished a long 3-pointer to give Chico State a 62-60 lead. But Chacon possessed the hot hand for San Marcos, quickly sinking a jumper to tie the score, and then with 10 seconds left, took a pass from Dobner and drained a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it a 65-62 contest. Miller answered with a layup as time expired, and the Cougars held on for the school’s historic 65-64 overtime win.
BOX SCORE
Chico State will play its final exhibition game Wednesday when the Wildcats travel to Moraga to take on Division I St. Mary’s at 7 p.m. The ’Cats open up the regular season California Collegiate Athletic Association conference play Nov. 15 on the road against Cal State Stanislaus.
