CHICO – It’s way too early in the season to consider an upcoming contest a “must win” game, but the Chico State women’s basketball team is no doubt looking at Friday’s contest with Cal State San Bernardino as one it has to have – not only to keep pace with the leaders in the conference standings, but to gain some needed momentum for the Wildcats’ Saturday showdown with the No. 3-ranked team in the country, UC San Diego. The ’Cats host the Coyotes and Tritons at Acker Gym this weekend, with both games getting underway at 5:30 p.m.

Chico State enters play with an overall record of 6-4 and sits in sixth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 3-3 conference mark. After starting out the season 5-2 with impressive wins over Colorado Mesa, Western Washington and Seattle Pacific, the Wildcats have dropped two of their last three games, including a disappointing 69-68 decision Monday to Cal State Stanislaus. The ’Cats need a victory Friday to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time this season.


Synchro Bull, with five straight double-digit games, has worked her way into the CCAA’s top 10 scoring leaders, ranking eighth with an average of 13.1 points a contest. Bull is also seventh in the conference in steals (2.0 a game). Her backcourt partner Jazmine Miller is in the CCAA top 15 in scoring (tied for 13th at 12.0 points a game), leads the conference in free throw shooting percentage (86.1); is sixth in steals (2.3 a night) and tied for eighth among CCAA players with 15 3-pointers.

Courtney Hamilton continues to distribute the ball well for the Wildcats – the sophomore ranks third in the CCAA with 3.4 assists a game, and her 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio is second-best among conference guards. Courtney Harrison ranks seventh in 3-point field goal percentage, connecting on 41.4 percent of her shot from beyond the arc.

Cal State San Bernardino, which visits Acker Gym Friday, is 3-7 on the season and started the week tied with Sonoma State for seventh place in the CCAA with a 2-4 conference mark. The Coyotes had dropped four straight before exploding against San Francisco State, drubbing the Gators 80-54 on Dec. 30.

San Bernardino, which lost three graduating all-conference players that helped the Coyotes reached the NCAA West Regional last season, has sputtered on offense so far in 2011-12, averaging 57.9 points a game. On defense, San Bernardino is eighth in the CCAA, allowing 62 points a game. The Coyotes rank last among conference teams in rebounding, averaging just 34.8 boards a game, but are third in blocked shots (3.1 a game), and have averaged a CCAA-best 4.1 rejections in conference play.

The Coyotes are led by senior guards Angela Streets and Eliza Dy, who each scored 25 points in San Bernardino’s Dec. 30 win over San Francisco State. Streets ranks fourth in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 15 points a game, and is third in the conference with 21 3-point baskets. Dy’s 14.0 points-per-game average is seventh-best in the CCAA; she also ranks in the conference’s top five in assists (3.3 a game) and steals (2.4 a contest). Junior forward Kristen Huffman, a transfer from Sierra College, ranks among the CCAA leaders in rebounds, averaging 6.9 boards a game.

Cal State San Bernardino won both meetings with the Wildcats last season, but Chico State holds a 19-11 edge in the all-time series.

UC San Diego, which comes to Chico Saturday following a Friday night contest in Turlock against Cal State Stanislaus, is a perfect 12-0 on the season and perched atop the CCAA standings with a 6-0 conference record. The Tritons racked up a pair of wins last weekend, beating San Francisco State 79-44 and No. 11 Cal Poly Pomona 78-64. UC San Diego has dominating all season, scoring at least 70 points in all but one its games this season, and outscoring opponents by an average of 21 points per contest.

As a result, the Tritons rank among the conference leaders in most team offensive categories. UC San Diego leads the CCAA in scoring (78.2 points a game), rebounding (42.8 boards a contest), assists (18.1 per contest), 3-point baskets (77) and field goal percentage (45.5). Though the Tritons average just 31.8 percent from beyond the arc, they’re not shy about bombing away from long distance, averaging over 20 3-point attempts a game. UC San Diego is nearly as tough defensively, ranking fourth in the CCAA by allowing just 57.2 points a night.

All-America guard Chelsea Carlisle is the Tritons’ top offensive weapon – the senior, who was the CCAA’s Player of the Year in 2009-10, is having another MVP-type season. Carlisle is second in the conference in scoring (17.0 points a game), leads the CCAA in assists and steals (5.5 and 2.9 a game, respectively), is second in 3-pointers (24) and is fourth in field goal percentage (53.0).

UC San Diego features two other All-CCAA players: senior center Lauren Freidenberg is eighth in the conference in both scoring (13.8 points a game) and rebounding (7.7 boards a contest), while junior guard Emily Osga is averaging 10.8 points a game and is shooting 47 percent from the field. Sophomore forward Erin Dautremont is contributing 9.6 points and 7.1 rebounds a game to the Tritons’ attack.

Last season, UC San Diego defeated Chico State three times, including a 76-71 decision Mar. 1 in the opening round of the CCAA Championship Tournament. The Tritons have won six of the last seven meetings and hold a 15-11 lead in the all-time series.

Both Friday and Saturday games will be aired locally on Newstalk 1290-AM KPAY with Mike Baca handling the play-by-play; the broadcast will also be streamed online through the Wildcat Athletics website. Live Stats for both contests will also be available online. CLICK HERE for Chico State women’s basketball Live Stats.