Box Score SAN FRANCISCO – The Chico State women's basketball team has enjoyed quite a bit of success in The Swamp over the past decade-plus. The Wildcats had not lost a game at the home of San Francisco State since Feb., 2001 heading into Friday's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) matchup with the host Gators. But thanks to 21 turnovers and 3-for-20 shooting from 3-point range, the 'Cats suffered a deflating 82-65 defeat, dropping the defending conference champions to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in CCAA play.
Four Wildcats scored in double digits in the loss – Analise Riezebos posted 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds; McKenzie Dalthorp added a dozen points and five boards; Jazmine Miller collected her third career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Courtney Hamilton chipped in with 11 points and six assists. But all the production wasn't enough to stop San Francisco State's Angela Van Sickel and Katie Batlin – Van Sickel knocked down six 3-pointers to finish with a game-high 24 points, while Batlin scored 21 points, hauled in nine rebounds, dished out eight assists and grabbed five steals as the Gators improved to 4-2 on the season and 1-0 in the CCAA.
Both teams came out firing in the first half, combining for 41 points in the first eight minutes. A Hannah Womack 3-pointer and layups by Riezebos, Dalthorp and Miller gave Chico State an early 11-6 lead. San Francisco State went out in front with an 8-0 run, but an Annie Ward 3-pointer knotted up the contest at 14-all. With the Gators up 16-14, the Wildcats ripped off eight unanswered points – highlighted by a pair of Hamilton layups – to jump back on top 22-16.
The 'Cats' offense then suffered through a cold spell, and were held scoreless for over four minutes. San Francisco State took advantage by scoring 12 straight points to go up 28-22. A Dalthorp jumper and a Miller 3-pointer pulled Chico State to within 31-27, but a 6-0 mini-run by the Gators pushed San Francisco State's advantage to 37-27. Miller posted six of the Wildcats' final eight points of the half, and San Francisco State went into intermission with a 42-35 lead.
Chico State survived several turnovers in the opening minutes of the second half to close to within three – a pair of Dalthorp layups and a three-point play by Michelle Walker making the score 49-46 with 12:35 to play. The Gators promptly answered with a 16-2 run to balloon their lead to 65-48. Two layups by Dalthorp and a Hamilton bucket led a 13-7 Wildcat charge to cut the deficit to 72-61, but San Francisco State immediately responded by scoring nine of the next 11 points to push its lead to 81-63. Both teams emptied its benches over the final two minutes, allowing the Gators to cruise to the 82-65 victory.
The Wildcats conclude their weekend road swing Saturday, traveling to Rohnert Park to take on Sonoma State (1-4, 0-1 CCAA) at the Wolves' Den; tipoff is at 5:30 p.m. Fans can follow the action locally on Newstalk 1290 AM KPAY and online through the Wildcat Athletics website (
www.chicowildcats.com). Live Stats and streaming video are also available online.
