CHICO – No. 3-ranked UC San Diego remains undefeated, but the Tritons know they escaped Acker Gym by the skin of its teeth. The Chico State women’s basketball team was just 15 seconds away from posting the upset win of the season Saturday, but a steal and layup by Chelsea Carlisle tied the game and forced overtime, with the Tritons needing a second overtime period to finally outlast the scrappy ’Cats 97-91 in a thrilling California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matchup.
The heartbreaking loss dropped Chico State to 7-5 overall and 4-4 in conference play. UC San Diego improved to 14-0 on the season and remains alone in first place in the CCAA at 8-0.
Synchro Bull drained 13 shots – just two shy of the single game school record – to lead Chico State with a career-high 29 points; she also paced the ’Cats with eight rebounds. The four other Wildcat starters also scored in double digits – Natasha Smith had 12 points; Jazmine Miller delivered 10, while McKenzie Dalthorp and Courtney Hamilton enjoyed career-high nights with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Emily Osga and Erin Dautremont led UC San Diego with 23 points apiece.
The Tritons jumped out to an early 17-10 lead in the first half, but Chico State jumped in front 25-21 courtesy of a 15-4 run, highlighted by an Annie Ward 3-pointer and buckets from Bull, Dalthorp and Jennifer Rene. UC San Diego twice regained the lead, but with the score 30-29, Bull knocked down a pair of shots and Hamilton delivered a layup with nine seconds remaining in the period to put the Wildcats on top 35-32 at halftime.
UC San Diego knotted up the contest at 50-apiece seven minutes into the second period, but the ’Cats answered by scoring 10 of the next 12 points to take a 60-52 lead – Miller leading the charge with a pair of 3-pointers. The Tritons pulled to within 62-60 with 6:52 to go, and the two teams proceeded to match each other basket for basket for the next four minutes; Chico State still clinging to a 68-66 lead. Bull scored a layup to make it a 70-66 game, but a Dautremont layup once again made it a two-point contest with 1:51 to go. UC San Diego missed two opportunities to tie it, giving the Wildcats the ball with 24 seconds left. But Carlisle was able to swipe the ball from Ymonne Davidson-Mays and go the length of the floor for the tying layup; Bull missed a layup as time ran out, sending the game into overtime knotted up at 70-all.
UC San Diego led for most of the first overtime period, but two free throws by Bull with 12 seconds remaining once again tied the score. Carlisle converted a layup with five seconds left to put the Tritons up by two, but Bull dribbled the length of the floor and fed Dalthorp for a layup with one second remaining to tie the score at 82-apiece and force a second overtime period.
This time, however, UC San Diego would not be denied, hitting five of its six shots to build a 94-86 lead with just 27 seconds left in the second OT. Courtney Harrison buried a 3-ball and Bull scooped in another layup to pull the ’Cats to within five, but the Tritons would hold on for the 97-91 victory to remain unbeaten and triumph over Chico State for the seventh time in the last eight meetings.
BOX SCORE
Chico State wraps up its long homestand next weekend with games against Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday and Cal State L.A. on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
