CHICO – Armed with the lead in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and the No. 12 ranking in the nation, the Chico State women’s basketball team kicks off the second half of the conference schedule this week, hitting the road to take on a pair of talented opponents. Thursday the Wildcats will be in Arcata to go up against Humboldt State, followed by a matchup Saturday in southern California versus Cal Poly Pomona. Both games are slated to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
Chico State heads into this week’s action 14-2 on the season, and in sole possession of first place in the CCAA with a 10-2 conference mark. The Wildcats split their home games last weekend, dropping a 51-44 decision to Cal State Monterey Bay before tripping up Cal State East Bay Saturday, 56-50. The win enabled the ’Cats to maintain a one-game lead in the conference standings over second place Cal State L.A. and UC San Diego.
The Wildcats have won their last three road contests and are 6-1 away from the friendly confines of Acker Gym. Chico State is second in the CCAA teams in scoring, averaging 68.3 points a game, while ranking among the top conference teams in several other offensive categories:
• First in assists (15.5 a game)
• Third in field goal percentage (41.3 percent)
• Fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (30.6 percent)
• Fourth in free throw shooting percentage (69.8 percent)
Defensively, Chico State is fifth in the CCAA, allowing opponents to score an average of 58.2 points a contest. The Wildcats are second among conference teams in steals (10.7 per game) and third in blocked shots (2.5 a contest). The ’Cats also rank ninth in the nation in 3-point shooting defense, with opposing teams averaging less than 25 percent from behind the arc.
Individually, Courtney Hamilton continues to lead the CCAA in assists (4.9 a game), while Jazmine Miller is in the top 10 in scoring (eighth, 12.4 points a game), 3-point field goals (tied for fifth, 27), 3-point shooting percentage (sixth, 37.5 percent) and free throw percentage (eighth, 76.6 percent).
McKenzie Dalthorp has connected on 46 percent of her field goal attempts and 82.5 percent of her free throws (2nd in the CCAA) to average 10.9 points a game. Monnie Davidson-Mays is also in the CCAA top 20 in scoring (19th, 9.4 points a game) and fifth in the conference in field goal percentage (48.1 percent).
Humboldt State, the Wildcats’ Thursday night opponent, is 8-10 on the season and tied for ninth in the CCAA with a 4-8 conference record. The Lumberjacks, coached by former Chico State star Joddie (Vossler) Gleason, has struggled of late, dropping seven of their last eight games, including losses last weekend against Cal State L.A. (72-70 in overtime) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (82-66). Humboldt State is 4-3 this season on its home floor, Lumberjack Arena.
Humboldt State is sixth in the CCAA in scoring (61.5 points a game) and puts up more 3-point attempts (over 21 a night) than any team in the conference. On defense, the Lumberjacks are ninth in the CCAA, surrendering an average of 63.4 points a game.
The ’Jacks are led by senior guard Lisa Petty, who is third in the CCAA in scoring (18.2 points a game), fourth in rebounding (7.8 per game) and fifth in 3-pointers (27). Senior guard Caitie Richards has knocked down 26 treys while averaging 9.0 points and 3.0 assists a game. Junior forward Kelly Kime, third in the conference in rebounding (7.9 boards a game), averages 9.1 points a night.
Chico State beat Humboldt in the season’s first meeting, 64-49, on Dec. 1 at Acker Gym, with the Wildcats holding Petty and Richards to 0-for-15 shooting from 3-point land. The ’Cats have won the last three matchups with the Lumberjacks and lead the all-time series 65-20.
Cal Poly Pomona has been one of the hottest teams in the CCAA in January, winning six of seven, though the Broncos saw their six-game winning streak snapped last Saturday by Cal State L.A., 62-42. Pomona enters the week 10-6 overall, and though the Broncos are in fifth place in the CCAA with an 8-4 record, they sit just two games back of the conference-leading Wildcats.
Pomona is 5-1 at home this season and has not lost at Kellogg Gymnasium since falling to Humboldt State 68-61 back in early December. For their part, Chico State has not beaten Pomona on the road since March 3, 2009.
The Broncos are fourth in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 61.8 points a game, and rank sixth in team defense, giving up 58.4 points a night. Pomona’s big scorer is J.J. Judge – ranked third in the CCAA with 34 3-pointers on the season, the junior guard is averaging 15.9 points (fifth in the conference) and 6.5 rebounds (10th) a game. Senior forward Ashley Boggs is averaging 10.8 points a contest while ranking sixth in the CCAA in rebounding (7.5 boards a contest).
Chico State has a chance for a regular season sweep of Pomona – the Wildcats, behind 20 points from Jazmine Miller and 15 rebounds from Analise Riezebos, beat the Broncos 68-57 Nov. 30 at Acker Gym. Despite the loss, Pomona holds a slim 21-20 lead in the all-time series between the two teams.
Both games will be broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290 AM KPAY and on the internet via the Wildcat Athletics website, with Mike Baca handling the play-by-play. Live Stats and streaming video will also be available online.
CLICK HERE for broadcast play-by-play of Thursday's Chico State-Humboldt State game
CLICK HERE for Chico State-Humboldt State Live Stats
CLICK HERE for Chico State-Humboldt State online video streaming
