Box Score CHICO – Admittedly, it’s fairly early in the season to describe a game as a battle for first place. But that was the scenario Saturday at Acker Gym, as the Chico State women’s basketball team squared off against conference foe Humboldt State with the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s (CCAA) top spot at stake. The Wildcats continued their home mastery of the Lumberjacks, grinding out a big 64-49 victory – the 16th straight time the ’Cats have bested the ’Jacks at Acker – and as a result sits alone atop the conference standings.
Chico State moves to 4-0 on the season with Saturday’s win. Humboldt State saw its three-game winning streak go by the boards to fall to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in CCAA play.
Jazmine Miller and McKenzie Dalthorp led a balanced Chico State attack, scoring 12 points apiece, with Dalthorp also pulling down nine rebounds. Monnie Davidson-Mays just missed a double-double, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with a career-high five steals. Hannah Womack and Courtney Harrison collected six assists each for the victorious Wildcats. Lisa Petty scored a game-high 20 points for Humboldt State.
Chico State used a 3-pointer by Womack and buckets by Dalthorp, Miller, Hamilton and Davidson-Mays to jump out to an early 11-4 lead, but Humboldt State responded by holding the Wildcats to just one basket over the next six-and-a-half minutes, and with Petty leading the way with eight points, the Lumberjacks went up 16-14 midway through the first half. The Wildcats’ defense answered by silencing Humboldt for the rest of the period, outscoring the Lumberjacks 15-2 on the strength of a Miller 3-pointer and baskets by Dalthorp, Analise Riezebos and Annie Ward to take a 29-18 advantage into halftime.
Chico State scored the first six points of the second period to go up 35-18, but Humboldt State reeled off eight unanswered points to pull to within nine. The Lumberjacks trailed 39-31 when the Wildcats took firm control of the contest – Davidson delivered a layup and a 3-point play, and Hamilton hit a shot in the paint to highlight a 9-0 run to put the ’Cats up 48-31 with eight minutes to play. Humboldt State could get no closer than 13 points the rest of the way, and a pair of late buckets by Sam Messersmith sealed Chico State’s 64-49 victory.
The Wildcats are back in action next weekend, hosting the 40th annual Coslet Classic-CCAA/GNAC Challenge. Chico State faces two serious non-conference tests – Friday the Wildcats take on No. 8 Western Washington, then Saturday the ’Cats battle Seattle Pacific. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m.
