Box Score SEASIDE – All season long, Chico State women’s basketball Head Coach Brian Fogel has told anyone who stood still long enough to listen how proud he is of his Wildcat team. Week after week, the ’Cats did whatever it took to rack up wins and stay the team to beat in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Friday night in Seaside just might be Fogel’s proudest moment of the 2012-13 campaign, as No. 15 Chico State captured its first conference crown in five years with a hard-fought 84-75 overtime victory over Cal State Monterey Bay.
The Wildcats finish the regular season 22-4 overall and 18-4 in CCAA play. Friday’s win, combined with UC San Diego’s 53-50 loss to San Francisco State, gives Chico State the outright conference title and the No. 1 seed in next week’s CCAA Championship Tournament. The ’Cats will host San Francisco State, the No. 8 seed, Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. at Acker Gym in opening round action.
Tickets for Tuesday’s postseason opener are now available. Fans wishing to purchase tickets in advance to guarantee a specific seat can do so through Monday, March 4 at 6 p.m. at the University Box Office, located at 3rd and Chestnut Streets, behind the new parking structure. The University Box Office phone number is 898-6333.
Current Acker Backers and Season Ticket holders will have their seats on hold until Monday at 6 p.m. All seats that are not purchased by that deadline will be released to the public from the Acker Box Office on the day of the game.
Hannah Womack led the Wildcats Friday, knocking down four 3-pointers on the way to a 23-point night. Courtney Hamilton played 41 minutes and scored a career-high 18 points while dishing out four assists, while teammate Jazmine Miller provided a trio of treys to finish with 15 points. Stefanie Corgel and Holly Homcomb led Cal State Monterey Bay with 14 points apiece.
Cal State Monterey Bay was anxious to sweep the regular season series with the Wildcats, and opened up Friday’s action by pushing the ball and fast-breaking at every opportunity, building a 16-9 lead early in the first half. Chico State used baskets by Hamilton, Miller and Synchro Bull to fuel an 8-0 run to go up 17-16, and following four lead changes, the Otters held the Wildcats to just one field goal over the final 4:30 of the period and took a 31-29 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Monterey Bay came out strong in the second half, scoring nine of the first 11 points to open up a 40-31 advantage. Chico State battled back – a Womack 3-pointer and baskets by Annie Ward and Sam Messersmith powered an 11-4 run to pull the ’Cats to within two. But it seemed the Otters had an answer for every Chico State charge, hitting several big 3-pointers to maintain their lead, and with 2:06 to go Monterey Bay remained on top 60-56.
Three-pointers by Miller and Davidson-Mays pulled the ’Cats even with 1:11 remaining, and a pair of Bull free throws gave Chico State a 64-62 lead with 31 seconds to play. But Monterey Bay refused to wilt, forcing overtime with a Jessica Fontenette jumper with five seconds left.
The Wildcats never trailed in overtime, as a Womack 3-pointer capped a 13-6 run to give Chico State a 77-70 lead with 2:07 remaining. Monterey Bay cut the deficit to four with 43 seconds left, but free throws down the stretch by Ward, Miller and Womack salted the game away, and the ’Cats came away with the 84-75 victory to claim the CCAA championship for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
Like Brian Fogel, Wildcat fans have to be proud of the Chico State women’s basketball team’s impressive achievements in 2012-13, but there’s still plenty for the ’Cats to accomplish. Now…on to the postseason!
