CHICO – There’s nothing like some challenging matchups against conference opponents that puts a team back on track. The Chico State women’s basketball team hopes that will be the case this week, as it hits the road for key California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) games against San Francisco State on Thursday and Cal Poly Pomona Saturday. Both contests are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
The Wildcats enter the week’s action with a 2-1 overall record, and despite last week’s disappointing 51-48 loss to Dominican, share first place with Pomona and Humboldt State in the CCAA with a 1-0 conference record.
Chico State ranks fifth among CCAA teams in scoring, averaging 61.3 points a game, and is seventh in the conference in defense, allowing 57 points a contest. The Wildcats are shooting the ball well in the early going, ranking third in the CCAA is field goal percentage (40.1 percent) and second in free throw percentage (78 percent).
Individually, Jazmine Miller leads the CCAA in free throw percentage, connecting on all 10 of her charity tosses this season. She is also tied for the conference lead in steals (3.0 a game), eighth in scoring (14.0 points a contest) and ninth in field goal percentage, hitting 46.7 percent of her shots. Ymonne Davidson-Mays leads the CCAA in 3-point field goal percentage, draining all three of her treys this season, while Courtney Harrison (.500) is tied for sixth among conference players for long-distance efficiency.
San Francisco State, the Wildcats’ Thursday night opponent, is 0-5 on the young season, and sitting in the CCAA cellar with an 0-1 conference record. The Gators, which just missed the CCAA Championship Tournament last season despite a 6-20 overall record, have played a tough non-conference schedule, with losses to West Region powerhouses Western Washington and Seattle Pacific; last weekend San Francisco State dropped a pair of double-digit decisions in Phoenix to Grand Canyon and Missouri Science and Technology during the Grand Canyon Tournament.
The Gators have struggled offensively so far this season, averaging just 41 points a game, but rank sixth in the CCAA on defense, giving up 56.6 points a contest.
San Francisco State is led by junior guard Nicole Hicks (8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds a game), sophomore forward Lauren Varney (7.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per night) and freshman forward Farrah Shokoor (14th in the CCAA in rebounds, averaging 6.4 boards a night).
Chico State won both meetings against the Gators last season, and holds a 63-20 advantage in the all-time series.
Defending CCAA and NCAA West Region champion Cal Poly Pomona, which hosts Chico State Saturday, is 3-0 on the season and tied for first place in the conference standings. After a pair of season-opening wins in Oregon in the CCAA/GNAC Classic, Pomona’s last game was a 44-36 victory over San Francisco State on Nov. 23.
The Broncos are seventh in the CCAA in scoring (58.3 points a game), but boast the conference’s top defense, allowing just 48 points a night. Pomona ranks fourth in the conference in 3-point shooting percentage (40.5 percent) and third in blocked shots (3.0 a game).
The top offensive threat for the Broncos is senior guard Sarah Semenero, who is tied for fourth in the CCAA in scoring with a 15.3 points-per-game average; she also shares the conference lead in steals (3.0 a game), is second in 3-pointers (3.0 a night) and sixth in rebounds (7.7 a contest). Senior center Megan Ford is in the CCAA top 15 in scoring (11.7 points a game) and is fifth in the conference in rebounding (8.3 boards a night), while senior forward Charlene Popoff contributes seven points and seven rebounds a game to the Pomona attack.
The Broncos were victorious in both meetings with the Wildcats last season; all-time, Pomona and Chico State have split their 38 meetings dating back to 1974.
Both Chico State games will be broadcast locally on KPAY 1290-AM Radio, with Mike Baca providing the play-by-play. Live audio and Live Stats will also be available through the Wildcat Athletics website.
