CHICO – The Chico State women's basketball team has had a long time to think about its lone defeat of the season – 10 days, to be exact. So it's only natural that the Wildcats are itching to get back on the court and play the type of ball that reflects their No. 11 national ranking while resulting in a couple of conference wins. The 'Cats get their chance this weekend, traveling to the Bay Area for California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matchups with San Francisco State Friday and Sonoma State on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.

Where they stand: Chico State is 4-1 on the season, but saw its unblemished record go by the boards Nov. 26 with a 71-68 loss to Cal State Stanislaus. The loss not only dropped the Wildcats from sixth to 11th in the latest USA Today Top 25 Coaches' Poll, it placed the 'Cats into a tie with Cal State Dominguez Hills for 10th place in the CCAA standings. The loss to the Warriors marked the first time since the 2008-09 season that Chico State had failed to win its CCAA conference opener.


Individual achievements: Six Wildcats are among the conference leaders in several statistical categories:
   - Courtney Hamilton leads the CCAA (and ranks third in the nation) in assists, averaging 7.8 a game. She's also tied for sixth in the conference in steals (2.6 a game), eighth in blocked shots (0.8 a contest) and tied for eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2).
   - Hannah Womack is tied for 10th in the CCAA in scoring, averaging a team-high 14.0 points a game. The junior guard is second in the conference in free throw percentage (91.7), tied for third in 3-pointers (11) and eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (42.3).
   - Annie Ward ranks fourth in the CCAA in field goal percentage (58.6), fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (50.0) and sixth in 3-pointers (10).
   - Jazmine Miller is just outside the CCAA top 10 in scoring, averaging 13.2 points a game, but is tied for third in 3-pointers (11), sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (44.0) and seventh in free throw percentage (84.6).
   - Analise Riezebos is tied for seventh in the CCAA in both field goals (26) and field goal percentage (54.2).
   - McKenzie Dalthorp is tied for seventh in the conference in field goals (26).

San Francisco State: The Gators, 3-2 on the season, open conference play with Friday's matchup with the Wildcats – San Francisco State's first game in nearly two weeks. The Gators opened the 2013-14 campaign with wins over Pacific Union, Menlo College and Holy Names, but dropped back-to-back decisions Nov. 22-23 to Simon Fraser.

Team Stats: San Francisco State ranks sixth among the 12 CCAA teams in scoring, averaging 72.8 points a game, and is eighth in defense, allowing 65.2 points a contest. The Gators are one of the top rebounding teams in the conference, averaging nearly 43 boards a game.

Gators to watch: Guard Katie Batlin, a senior transfer from Division I Saint Mary's, leads San Francisco State in scoring (16.2 points a game, sixth-best in the CCAA), rebounds (8.8, seventh in the CCAA) and assists (2.8 a contest). Senior guard Jennifer Le and senior forward Lauren Varney are each averaging just under 10 points a game.

Head-to-head: Chico State leads the all-time series 68-20, and comes into Friday's contest having beaten San Francisco State 10 straight times (including all three meetings last season) and in 20 of the last 21 games dating back to 2004. The Wildcats have not lost to the Gators on the road since dropping a 64-46 decision on Feb. 16, 2001.

Sonoma State: The Seawolves, 1-3 entering the weekend, opens conference play Friday against Cal State Stanislaus before hosting the Wildcats on Saturday. Sonoma State's lone win of the season came in its own Elsie Darling Classic, when the Seawolves beat Notre Dame de Namur 68-56. Sonoma State fell in its most recent outing, an 83-73 defeat Nov. 26 at the hands of Menlo College.

Team Stats: The Seawolves are averaging only 58 points a game (11th in the CCAA), with the defense surrendering 64.5 points a contest (seventh among conference teams).

Seawolves to watch: Junior guard/forward Bronte Sheahan is Sonoma State's leading scorer, averaging 12 points a game. Senior guard forward Kristina Fahey is averaging 9.8 points a game and leads the Seawolves in rebounds (6.3 a game) and assists (4.0 a contest).

Head-to-head: Chico State took both meetings with Sonoma State last season and has won six of the last seven against the Seawolves. In the all-time series between the two teams, the Wildcats hold a 60-18 advantage.

Coverage: Both Wildcat games this weekend will be broadcast live on Newstalk 1290 AM KPAY, with Mike Baca handling the play-by-play. The audio will be simulcast online via the Wildcat Athletics website (www.chicowildcats.com). Live Stats and streaming video will also be available for both games. Go to the Wildcat Athletics homepage and click on the icons below the event calendar to activate.