CHICO – Chico State and Humboldt State has built up a long and spirited rivalry over the years – and that rivalry is particularly intense when it comes to women’s basketball. In just the last three seasons, both teams have won on the other’s home floor; the Lumberjacks beat the Wildcats to win a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament title, only to see the ’Cats knock them out of the NCAA West Reigional a week later. This season has been no different – Chico State and Humboldt State have split their two regular season games, and Tuesday they meet again in Arcata for the opening round of the 2012 CCAA Championship Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Chico State enters the fifth annual tournament on an impressive roll, having won five in a row and six of its last seven games. The Wildcats finished the regular season with a 17-9 record, tying for fifth in the CCAA standings with a 14-8 conference mark. Thanks to favorable tiebreakers, the ’Cats earned the No. 5 seed in the CCAA Championship Tournament, and will face fourth-seeded Humboldt State (19-7, 15-7 CCAA), which has also won six of the last seven, including last week’s 74-73 victory over No. 1 UC San Diego.
Chico State enters postseason play ranked No. 10 in the latest NCAA West Region rankings, while Humboldt State sits in the No. 8 position – the top eight teams in the region moving on to compete in the NCAA Championship Tournament. Winning the CCAA Championship Tournament earns an automatic berth in the NCAA West Regional, and while the Wildcats don’t necessarily have to win the tourney to advance, a loss Tuesday to Humboldt State would likely end the ’Cats’ season. The winner will move on to the CCAA Championship Tournament semifinals Friday in La Jolla.
Tuesday’s Wildcats-Lumberjacks matchup is an intriguing one, pitting the CCAA’s second-best road team against the No. 2 home team in the conference. Chico State is 11-4 on the road this season, and has lost just once away from Acker Gym since mid-December. Humboldt State, currently enjoying a five-game home winning streak, is 11-2 at Lumberjack Arena.
Humboldt State won the first meeting of the season, downing the Wildcats 72-62 Dec. 17 in Arcata. Chico State returned the favor Jan. 28, utilizing 51 points off the bench to pound the Lumberjacks 90-67. The ’Cats have won 15 of the last 20 contests with Humboldt State and leads the all-time series, 63-20.
The Wildcats enter postseason play led by Synchro Bull – the junior guard is eighth in the CCAA in scoring (13.4 points a game), second in steals (2.2 a contest), eighth in assists (2.7 per game) and free throw percentage (74.1), while ranking among the top 20 in the conference in field goal percentage (12th, 45.4) and rebounding (16th, 5.7 a game).
Jazmine Miller, who has nailed 14 3-pointers in the Wildcats’ last five regular season games, is averaging 10.5 points a game and remains the CCAA’s top free-throw shooter (89.2 percent), while ranking sixth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (37.4) and 10th in 3-pointers per game (1.7).
Humboldt State has three players who have hit over 35 3-pointers on the season. Junior guard Lisa Petty is fifth in the CCAA in scoring (13.8 points a game) and has 36 3-pointers to her credit; senior guard Kayla Williams (11.8 points a game) has knocked down 47 treys, while junior guard Caitie Richards (10.9 a contest) leads the Lumberjacks with 50 3-pointers. Senior forward Bree Halsey is Humboldt’s main cog down low, averaging 8.3 points a game and ranking second in the CCAA with 9.3 rebounds a contest.
Tuesday’s contest will be broadcast locally beginning at 5:15 p.m. on KPAY 1290 AM, with Mike Baca providing the play-by-play.
The game can also heard online via the Wildcat Athletics website, and
Live Stats will also be available.
