Box Score CHICO – It took nearly the entire first half for the Chico State offense to get untracked Saturday, but once the ball started to drop, the Wildcats proved to be more than Cal State L.A. could handle. The 'Cats held the Golden Eagles to just 22 percent shooting in the second half, and behind Jazmine Miller's career-high 26 points and a 17-point effort from Annie Ward – all coming in the final period – Chico State streaked to a 68-58 victory at Acker Gym.
With its second straight win, Chico State improved to 8-4 overall, but more importantly, shot back into the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) race, as the 'Cats move into a three-way tie for seventh place with a 4-4 conference record. Cal State L.A. saw its two-game winning streak come to an end, falling to 8-4 on the season and 5-3 in CCAA play.
Miller's career night made her just the 10th player in Chico State women's basketball history to score 1,000 career points. The 26-point performance moved Miller past former teammate Synchro Bull on the Wildcats' career scoring list.
The Wildcats shot just 35.9 percent on the night, but Miller and Ward were a combined 14-for-25 from the field to keep the offense afloat. Chico State's defense played a big part in the win, forcing 11 Cal State L.A. turnovers and outrebounding the Golden Eagles 48-40. Analise Riezebos led all players with 11 rebounds on the night.
Miller provided all the Chico State offense early in the contest, knocking down a jumper, two 3-pointers and a pair of free throws as the Wildcats built a quick 10-5 lead. The Wildcat offense then went ice cold, scoring just one bucket over the next nine minutes, allowing Cal State L.A. to go on top and stretch its advantage to double digits, 26-15, with 3:45 left in the period. The 'Cats climbed back in the contest with a 14-8 run to close out the half – highlighted by 3-pointers by Miller and Tyler Prange – and the Golden Eagles had to be content with a 34-29 lead at intermission.
Chico State scored seven unanswered points to open the second period to move in front 36-34, but Cal State L.A. recovered quickly, going back up 42-38. Two ties and three lead changes later, Ward knocked down a big 3-pointer to make the score 52-49 with 8:44 to play, and the Wildcats would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the night. The Golden Eagles cut the deficit to 59-56 with 3:09 left, but the 'Cats closed things out on a 9-2 run – Ward bookended four Miller free throws with a 3-point play and breakaway layup – and Chico State beat Cal State L.A. going away by a final of 68-58.
The Wildcats are back at Acker Gym next weekend to take on Cal State East Bay Friday and Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday. Both games tip off at 5:30 p.m.
