Box Score SAN FRANCISCO – After struggling through one its least productive halves of the season, the Chico State women’s basketball team came up big in its Friday night road matchup against San Francisco State. Even with their impressive second half rally, the Wildcats had to hold their collective breath as the host Gators had a chance to win it the game’s final seconds. But a missed jumper with three seconds left allowed the No. 11 ’Cats to escape with a 54-53 nail-biter at The Swamp.
The win – Chico State’s fourth in a row and seventh in the last eight games – gives the Wildcats a 17-2 season record and 13-2 mark in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), as the ’Cats maintain a one-game lead over second place UC San Diego in the conference standings. San Francisco State, losers of five of its last six, dropped to 9-10 overall and 6-9 in CCAA play.
Jazmine Miller connected for three 3-pointers and led the Wildcats with 16 points – all coming in the decisive second half. Hannah Womack drained a trio of treys and finished with 14 points, while Synchro Bull contributed six points and a team-high five assists. McKenzie Dalthorp scored just two points but snared nine rebounds, as the ’Cats bested San Francisco State on the boards, 39-35. For the night, Chico State shot 34.7 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
Chico State could not get untracked in any facet of its game in the first half. The Wildcats shot less than 30 percent from the field while committing 13 turnovers, and as a result were forced to play catch-up the entire period. Monnie Davidson-Mays delivered the Wildcats’ first two buckets of the night, but it was Womack who single-handedly kept the ’Cats in the contest, knocking down three 3-pointers and a pair of free throws to square the score at 15-all. Chico State’s offense suddenly went silent, and with the exception of a Sam Messersmith trey, the Wildcats were held without a basket for the next six-and-a-half minutes, as San Francisco State used a 13-3 run to go up 28-18. The ’Cats were still down by 10 before Bull hit a jumper at the buzzer, and the Gators went into the locker room with a 30-22 halftime lead.
It was a totally different story in the second half. While the Chico State defense held San Francisco State scoreless for the first six minutes, the Wildcats scored 12 unanswered points – highlighted by two Miller 3-pointers and a trey by Courtney Hamilton – to storm out in front 34-30. The Gators knotted up the contest at 36-apiece, only to see the ’Cats rip off a 9-1 run to take a 45-37 lead. San Francisco regrouped and went back in front by scoring 11 of the next 13 points – Angela Van Sickel’s 3-pointer giving the Gators a 48-47 lead with 4:51 remaining.
While the Chico State defense held San Francisco State to just one field goal the rest of the way, the Wildcat offense put together what turned out to be the winning run. Two free throws by Davidson-Mays and two by Miller put the ’Cats back out in front, then Miller converted on a breakaway layup to put Chico State up 54-50 with 1:52 to go. But with 40 seconds left, Nicole Hicks buried a 3-pointer, and following a Wildcat turnover, the Gators took possession with 19 seconds remaining with a chance to win it. With three ticks left on the clock, Hicks’ jumper was off target; Bull came up with the loose ball as time expired, and Chico State came away with the hard-fought 54-53 victory.
The Wildcats wrap up the weekend Saturday in Rohnert Park against Sonoma State (6-13, 4-11 CCAA). Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290 AM KPAY and via the Wildcat Athletics website, with Live State and live onside video streaming also available.
CLICK HERE for audio broadcast of Saturday’s Chico State-Sonoma State game
CLICK HERE for Live Stats
CLICK HERE for live video streaming
