CHICO – What a difference a night makes. After posting their worst offensive performance of the season Friday against Sonoma State, the Chico State women’s basketball team came alive Saturday versus Humboldt State, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and riding 51 points by the Wildcat reserves to an impressive 90-67 win over a quality Lumberjack squad. Every Chico State player scored as the ’Cats beat the Lumberjacks at Acker Gym for the 15th straight time dating back to the 1994-95 season.
Chico State has won three of its last four contests to improve to 11-7 overall and 8-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). With Saturday’s setback, Humboldt State dropped to 13-5 on the season and 9-5 in CCAA play.
Courtney Harrison nailed five 3-pointers to lead the Wildcats with a season-high 15 points on the night. Freshman Caressa Williams posted career highs with 14 points and seven rebounds, with McKenzie Dalthorp contributing 10 points and six rebounds. Crystal Sewell grabbed a team-high eight rebounds as Chico State dominated the Lumberjacks on the boards, 44-28. The ’Cats hit 34 of 69 shots (49.3 percent), and their 22 assists matched a team season high. Humboldt State’s Lisa Petty led all scorers with 17 points, while teammate Caitie Richards added 15 points in a losing effort.
Humboldt State opened the scoring with a pair of Richards 3-pointers, but Chico State scrambled back, using baskets by Sewell, Courtney Hamilton and Natasha Smith to knot up the contest at eight apiece. The Lumberjacks quickly went back on top, 10-8 – but that would turn out to be the last lead Humboldt would enjoy the rest of the night. The Wildcats went on a 21-5 run – highlighted by three Harrison 3-pointers, a trio of buckets by Bull, and baskets by Williams and Samantha Messersmith – to roar out in front, 29-15. The Lumberjacks pulled to within seven at 31-24 with 4:25 left in the period, only to see the ’Cats score nine of the half’s final 11 points to go into the locker room with a 40-26 lead.
Chico State kept the pedal to the metal in the second half, using a pair of Dalthorp baskets, a Jazmine Miller layup and another Harrison 3-pointer to go up 49-31. But Humboldt State, the third-leading offensive team in the conference, was not about to go away, whittling the deficit down to 10, and with 12:20 remaining, it was still anyone’s ballgame with the Wildcats up 56-46. Chico State’s defense then stepped up big-time, holding the Lumberjacks to just two field goals over the next nine minutes, and with Williams and Harrison leading the charge offensively, the ’Cats outscored Humboldt 25-8 to balloon their lead to 81-54. Humboldt could get no closer than 17 points the rest of the way, as a Sharon Washington layup and free throws by Williams and Jennifer Rene put the finishing touches on Chico State’s 90-67 win, giving the Wildcats a split of the season series.
BOX SCORE
Chico State is back at home next weekend, taking on Cal Poly Pomona Friday, Feb. 3 and San Francisco State on Saturday the 4th. Both games are scheduled to tipoff at 5:30 p.m.
