CHICO – No. 9 with a bullet. The Chico State women’s basketball team began the week with a five-notch jump in the latest USA Today Sports Top 25 Coaches’ Poll to complement its two-game lead atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings. The 10-0 Wildcats – one of just nine undefeated teams in Division II – try to keep the good times rolling on the road this weekend with big conference matchups versus UC San Diego Friday and Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.

Chico State kept its unbeaten streak alive with a pair of victories last weekend, downing Sonoma State 70-48 and San Francisco State 76-60 at Acker Gym. The Wildcats – the first Chico State women’s basketball team to win its first 10 games since the 1973-74 ’Cats started the season 13-0 – have posted five straight double-digit W’s, with their average margin of victory an impressive 14.9 points per game. On the road, Chico State is 3-0 this season.

The Wildcats are second in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 72.3 points a game, while ranking fourth in team defense, allowing opponents just 57.4 points a contest. Chico State is also among the conference leaders in several other team categories:
     • The ’Cats lead the CCAA in assists (18.3 a game) and rank ninth in the nation
     • No. 2 in 3-point field goal percentage (35.0 percent)
     • No. 2 in steals (11.8 per game)
     • No. 3 in field goal percentage (41.3 percent)
     • No. 3 in blocked shots (2.6 a game)


Point guard Courtney Hamilton leads the conference (and is 10th in the nation) in assists, averaging 5.8 dishes a contest. She is tied for third in blocks (0.8 a game) and fifth in the CCAA (20th in the nation) in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1).

McKenzie Dalthorp, averaging 11.6 points a game, is ranked 12th in the CCAA in scoring, and is the conference’s second-best free throw shooter (88.4 percent) entering the weekend.

Other Wildcats putting up big numbers include:
     • Analise Riezebos – seventh in the CCAA in rebounds (7.3 a game)
     • Monnie Davidson-Mays – No. 3 in steals (2.7 a game) and 12th in rebounds (6.1 per contest)
     • Annie Ward – No. 8 in both 3-point field goals (18) and 3-point field goal percentage (40.9 percent)
     • Hannah Womack – tied for eighth in free throw percentage (79.2)

UC San Diego, the Wildcats’ Friday night opponent, enters play 6-7 on the season but in a tie with Cal State L.A. for second place in the CCAA with a 4-2 conference mark. Coming on the heels of a 30-3 record, a regular season conference title and an NCAA West Regional championship game appearance in 2011-12, the Tritons’ record appears disappointing, but it’s a bit deceiving – four of their seven losses this season have been by five points or less. UC San Diego is also tough to beat on its home floor – the Tritons are 4-1 this season at RIMAC Arena, and the last time a Chico State women’s basketball team won in La Jolla was way back on Dec. 1, 2006.

UC San Diego split its two CCAA matchups last weekend, losing on the road to Cal Poly Pomona 68-63 before bouncing back to hammer Humboldt State 71-54 in Arcata.

The Tritons are third in the conference in scoring, averaging a collective 65.9 points per game. On defense, UC San Diego ranks sixth in the CCAA, allowing 60.7 points a contest. The Tritons have been extremely potent from long distance – averaging over 18 shots from beyond the arc, they lead the conference in 3-point shooting percentage (37.1 percent). UC San Diego also tops the CCAA (and is third in the nation) in free throw shooting, connecting on 79.7 percent of its foul shots.

The Tritons are led by senior guard Daisy Feder. An All-CCAA First Team selection in 2011-12, Feder is averaging a conference-best (seventh in the nation) 21.1 points per game and is No. 1 in the CCAA in 3-pointers (43), averaging 3.3 treys a contest. She also leads UC San Diego in rebounding, hauling in 5.8 boards a night.

Another All-CCAA First Teamer from a year ago, senior guard Emily Osga, is averaging 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds a game, and is deadly from the foul stripe (a CCAA-best 92.9 free throw shooting percentage). Junior forward Erin Dautremont, the Tritons’ top low post threat, is averaging 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds a game.

UC San Diego won all three meetings with Chico State last season, although it took double overtime for the then top-ranked Tritons to down the Wildcats 97-91 Jan. 7 at Acker Gym. UC San Diego owns an 18-11 lead in the all-time series between the two teams.

Cal State San Bernardino, which entertains Chico State Saturday after taking on Cal State Stanislaus Friday night, enters play 5-5 overall and in a four-way tie with San Francisco State, Humboldt State and Cal Poly Pomona for fifth place in the CCAA with a 3-3 conference mark. Playing on the road last weekend, the Coyotes beat Humboldt State 42-41 before bowing to Cal Poly Pomona 69-62. San Bernardino has fared well at home – the Coyotes are 3-1 this season at Coussoulis Arena.
The Coyotes are not a high-scoring team. San Bernardino is 10th in the CCAA in offense, averaging 57.0 points a game. The team is a top-notch on defense, though, ranking fifth in the conference by allowing just 57.8 points a game.

The Coyotes’ No. 1 scoring threat is senior guard Eliza Dy. Though she’s played just three games this season, Dy – a Second Team All-CCAA selection a year ago – is coming off a 30-point performance last Saturday against Cal Poly Pomona.

Other top producers for San Bernardino include junior guard/forward Trinidee Trice (9.9 points a game), junior guard Tayllor Gipson (6.2 ppg, a team-high 10 3-pointers) and senior forward Kristen Huffman (6.0 ppg, leads the Coyotes with 5.1 rebounds a game).

The Wildcats swept the season series in 2011-12, beating the Coyotes 53-39 Jan. 6 in Chico and 64-58 Feb. 11 in San Bernardino. Chico State leads the all-time series, 21-11.

Both games will be broadcast live locally on Newstalk 1290 KPAY and online via the Wildcat Athletics website. Mike Baca will be courtside to provide the play-by-play. Live Stats will also be available online for the Friday and Saturday contests.

CLICK HERE for live online broadcast for Friday's Chico State-UC San Diego game

CLICK HERE for Live Stats for Friday's Chico State-UC San Diego game

CLICK HERE for live online broadcast for Saturday's Chico State-Cal State San Bernardino game

CLICK HERE for Live Stats for Saturday's Chico State-Cal State San Bernardino game