Box Score CHICO – The Chico State women’s basketball team hit only 16 shots from the field Friday against Cal Poly Pomona, but a rock-solid defense and a 19-point differential at the free throw line paved the way for the Wildcats to defeat the visiting Broncos 68-57 at Acker Gym. The ’Cats collected their 14th consecutive home opening victory, and beat Pomona in Chico for the first time since Feb. 7, 2009.
The win improved Chico State’s season record to 3-0, and keeps the Wildcats in a tie with Humboldt State atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings with a 2-0 conference mark. Cal Poly Pomona lost its second straight to fall to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in CCAA play.
Despite shooting just 30 percent on the night, the Wildcats were able to convert 29 of 40 free throws and knocked down seven 3-pointers in 15 attempts. Jazmine Miller matched her career high, leading all scorers with 20 points, while McKenzie Dalthorp and Hannah Womack contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively. Analise Riezebos pulled down a personal best 15 rebounds, while Courtney Hamilton chipped in with five points, four assists and a career high nine rebounds. J.J. Judge led Cal Poly Pomona with 12 points.
The first 10 minutes of the opening half was all Pomona, as the Broncos broke out to a 16-9 lead. Chico State’s defense then clamped down to hold Pomona to just one basket for the rest of the period; meanwhile, the Wildcat offense reeled off 22 points courtesy of 3-pointers by Womack, Hamilton, Miller and Annie Ward. When the two teams went to the locker room at intermission, the ’Cats owned a 31-22 halftime lead.
The Broncos twice pulled to within six points in the second half, but Chico State would never relinquish the lead. With the score 42-36, the Wildcats outscored Pomona 21-13 over the next 10 minutes, using a 3-pointer by Womack and six Dalthorp charity tosses to give Chico State a 63-49 lead with 2:34 remaining. The ’Cats were able to push the advantage to 15 with 36 seconds to play, and subsequently rolled to the 68-57 win, beating the Broncos for the first time since March 5, 2010 in Pomona.
The Wildcats are back in action Saturday, hosting Humboldt State at Acker Gym. The Lumberjacks (5-2, 2-0 CCAA) come to Chico after downing Cal State Stanislaus 72-56 Friday night in Turlock against Cal State Stanislaus.
Saturday’s contest will tip off at 5:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally on KPAY 1290 AM and on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website, with Mike Baca providing the play-by-play. Live Stats will also be available online.
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CLICK HERE for online game broadcast
