Box Score FRESNO – Head Coach Brian Fogel will be the first to tell you there’s still some work to be done, but a win’s a win. The Chico State women’s basketball team opened the 2012-13 season needing about 30 minutes to find its shooting touch, especially from 3-point range, but an opportunistic defense and some clutch buckets late in the contest were just enough to give the Wildcats a 66-63 road victory over Fresno Pacific Saturday afternoon at the Special Events Center in Fresno.
Chico State won its season opener for the 14th straight season, while Fresno Pacific, one of the newest members of the Pacific West Conference, fell to 0-4 on the year.
McKenzie Dalthorp led the Wildcats, posting 16 points while hauling in six rebounds, with Monnie Davidson-Mays and Jazmine Miller contributing 10 points apiece. Courtney Hamilton dished out eight assists to go along with eight points on the night, while Analise Riezebos – playing her first game since the 2010-11 season – pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Keairra White led Fresno Pacific with a game-high 29 points.
Chico State played solid defense in the first half, forcing 13 Fresno Pacific turnovers, but couldn’t get its shots to go down consistently on the offensive end. The Wildcats shot just 33 percent from the field and were 0-for-7 from 3-point range.
After falling behind early 5-2, the ’Cats used their team speed to push the ball, resulting in a 14-5 run and a 16-10 lead. Fresno Pacific answered by scoring 12 of the next 13 points to pull ahead 22-17. A pair of Dalthorp layups and two Hannah Womack free throws put Chico State back in front 23-22 with 5:14 left in the period. The two teams played it tight the rest of the half, and thanks to two late free throws by Riezebos, the Wildcats and Sunbirds went into the locker room deadlocked at 31-apiece.
While Chico State continued to misfire early in the second half, Fresno Pacific came out strong, scoring 15 of the first 19 points to grab a 46-35 lead. The Wildcat offense finally came alive, with three Ashtyn Anderson buckets and a 3-pointer by Womack highlighting a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 48-45. The Sunbirds extended its advantage to seven, only to see the ’Cats come back with 10 straight – Miller delivered a layup and 3-pointer, Hamilton sank two free throws, and a Davidson-Mays jumper put Chico State in front 56-54 with six minutes to play.
A 3-pointer by White and a Savannah Vasquez free throw put Fresno Pacific on top 58-57, but Miller buried another 3-ball to give Chico State a 60-58 lead with less than three minutes to play. The Sunbirds converted a layup and free throw to go up 61-60, but it would turn out to be their final lead of the contest. The Wildcats took possession, and Davidson-Mays, after missing a layup, got the rebound and the putback to put the Wildcats back in front. With a minute left, the ’Cats came up with a huge steal, and Dalthorp’s jumper from the left block made it a three-point Chico State lead. Davidson-Mays provided some insurance with a pair of late free throws, and despite a last-second White basket, the Wildcats were able to run out the clock and post the season-opening 66-63 victory.
Chico State finished the game shooting 35.8 percent from the field, but only connected on 3-of-18 from beyond the arc (16.7 percent). The Wildcat defense turned in a big night, forcing 23 Fresno Pacific turnovers.
The Wildcats won’t have long to reflect on the season opener. Chico State travels to Turlock Tuesday to take on Cal State Stanislaus to begin California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play. Tipoff from Fitzpatrick Arena is set for 7 p.m.
