Box Score CHICO – The Chico State women’s basketball has looked very solid through the first month of the 2012-13 season, but Saturday the Wildcats kicked it up another notch in the finale of the Coslet Classic-CCAA/GNAC Challenge, piling up 10 3-pointers and 20 fast break points to build a 33-point second half lead to ultimately cruise to an 89-77 win over Seattle Pacific Saturday night at Acker Gym.
By sweeping the Coslet Classic, Chico State improves to 6-0 on the season, and is one victory away from matching the 7-0 start by the Wildcats’ 2010-11 squad. The win also marks the first time in five tries dating back to 1985 that the Wildcats have beaten Seattle Pacific at Acker Gym.
Sophomore Annie Ward, making the first start of her Chico State career, knocked down six treys en route to a career-high 25 points and a spot on the Coslet Classic All-Tournament team. Jazmine Miller hit a trio of 3-pointers to score 17 points while also dishing out a career-best nine assists; McKenzie Dalthorp had 16 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Monnie Davidson-Mays earned all-tournament honors with her second straight productive outing, tallying 11 points, two blocks and three steals on the night.
Courtney Hamilton, on the heels of her 16-point performance Friday against No. 6 Western Washington, pushed the streaking Wildcat offense with eight assists while helping anchor the team’s defense, and was named the Coslet Classic Most Valuable Player.
Suzanna Ohlsen and all-tournament selection Katie Benson both scored 24 points for Seattle Pacific, which fell to 6-2 on the season with Saturday’s loss.
The Falcons jumped out to a 7-4 lead three minutes into the opening half, but two Ward 3-pointers and a pair of Miller layups fueled a 10-0 run to put Chico State up 14-7. Seattle Pacific pulled to within 18-16 when the Wildcats answered by scoring 15 of the next 18 points to extend their lead to 14 – 3-pointers by Ward and Miller, combined with buckets by Davidson-Mays, Synchro Bull and Sam Messersmith powered the ’Cats to a 33-19 advantage. The Falcons whittled the deficit to 10 with four minutes remaining in the period, only to see Chico State finish the half on a 12-4 run to go into intermission with a 48-30 lead.
The Wildcat offense kept its collective foot on the accelerator in the second half, and as a result Seattle Pacific was never able to mount a serious challenge. With the score 48-34, Chico State went on a 17-4 run, highlighted by a pair of Miller 3-pointers and a pair of layups by Dalthorp to balloon the ’Cats’ lead to 27 at 65-38. Ward led Chico State’s final offensive surge with two more shots from behind the arc to give the Wildcats their biggest lead of the night, 81-48, with seven minutes remaining. Seattle Pacific made the score look a little more respectable by scoring 29 of the game’s final 37 points, but it was far too little and far too late to keep the ’Cats from rolling to the 89-77 victory.
The Chico State women’s basketball team hits the road for a non-conference game this Wednesday, traveling to Belmont to take on Pacific West Conference foe Notre Dame de Namur. The host Argonauts has never beaten Chico State in 15 tries dating back to 1983. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
Sonoma State 68, Western Washington 63
All-tournament selection Taylor Vigil and Marie Sweet scored 12 points apiece to help Sonoma State pull off a stunning upset of 6th-ranked Western Washington University to open the second day of the Carl’s Jr. Coslet Classic-CCAA/GNAC Challenge Saturday.
Bronte Sheahan chipped in 10 points and five boards in just 16 minutes off the bench and fellow reserve Desirae Sanchez knocked down a pair of crucial late 3-pointers for the Seawolves, who improved to 3-4.
Western Washington dropped to 6-2 with its second loss in two nights. The Vikings got 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists from Britt Harris, who was also named to the all-tournament team. Corinn Waltrip chipped in 12 points and Katie Colard contributed 11.
After Western Washington scored on a breakaway off the tipoff, the Seawolves went on a 10-0 run and never looked back. They built their lead to 37-25 late in the first half before the Vikings began to chip away.
Western Washington drew even twice, but each time Sanchez gave Sonoma State the lead back with a bucket. Her second 3-pointer in a one-minute span sparked a 13-4 run that put the Seawolves back in control. But again the Vikings fought back. They drew win two on a Waltrip layup with 1:19 remaining. But Jamie Capoot rendered the rally kaput with a three-point play that proved to be the last points of the game.
