CHICO – The Chico State women's basketball team may still be looking up at six teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference standings, but the Wildcats' two wins last weekend at Acker Gym just may have salvaged their season. Topping two tough opponents in Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. have put the 'Cats back in the mix for one of the six CCAA Championship Tournament berths, but Head Coach Brian Fogel's squad knows it has to keep racking up wins to remain a vital factor in the conference race. It doesn't get much easier this weekend, as Chico State hosts a strong Cal State East Bay team Friday, followed on Saturday by Cal State Monterey Bay. Both games are set to tip off at 5:30 p.m. at Acker Gym.
Where they stand: Chico State is 8-4 overall, with last weekend's two wins moving the Wildcats into a tie with Humboldt State and San Francisco State for seventh place in the CCAA with a 4-4 conference record. The Wildcats enter the weekend having won two straight and three of their last four, kicking off a stretch of eight of 10 home games with a sweep at Acker Gym, edging Cal State Dominguez Hills 80-78 (snapping the Toros' six-game winning streak), followed by a 68-58 victory Saturday over Cal State L.A.
At home: The 'Cats are 3-1 at Acker Gym this season, and have won 17 of the last 20 on their home floor dating back to midway through the 2011-12 campaign.
Team stats: Chico State ranks fourth in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 72.7 points a game, and is eighth among the 12 conference teams in defense, allowing 65.7 points a contest. The Wildcats top the CCAA in field goal percentage (44.4 percent) and assists (15.3 a game), while ranking third in free throw percentage (70.7 percent) and fifth in steals (8.3 per contest).
Individual achievements: Several Wildcats are among the CCAA stat leaders:
- Jazmine Miller, the Wildcats' leading scorer (13.5 ppg) and the reigning CCAA Player of the Week, is fourth in the conference (and tied for 46th in the nation) in free throw percentage (87.5 percent), fifth in 3-pointers (24) and eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (37.5 percent).
- Courtney Hamilton leads the CCAA (and ranks third in the nation) in assists (7.1 a game), is third in the conference in steals (2.4) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2), and fourth in blocked shots (1.3).
- Hannah Womack is second among CCAA players (and tied for 29th in the nation) in free throw percentage (88.9 percent) and ranks 10th in the conference in 3-pointers (18).
- McKenzie Dalthorp leads the CCAA in field goal percentage (54.5 percent).
- Analise Riezebos is third in the CCAA in field goal percentage (51.9 percent) and ninth in rebounds (7.1 a game).
- Annie Ward is eighth among conference players in field goal percentage (47.6 percent).
Cal State East Bay: The Pioneers are 9-6 on the season and sitting in second place in the CCAA standings with a 6-2 record, trailing conference leader Cal Poly Pomona by just a game. East Bay split two road games last weekend, bouncing UC San Diego Friday 78-58 before seeing its five-game winning streak come to an end Saturday with a 71-64 loss to Cal State San Bernardino.
On the road: East Bay is 5-5 away from its home floor, Pioneer Gymnasium, but has won two of its last three road contests.
Team stats: The Pioneers are seventh in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 69.1 points a game, but East Bay's defense is ranked third in the conference, allowing just 62.1 points a contest. The Pioneers are second in the CCAA – trailing only Chico State – in field goal percentage (44.0 percent) and second in blocked shots (3.4 per game), and third in both assists (14.9 a contest) and steals (8.9 a night).
Pioneers to watch: Senior forward Brianna Terrance is the fifth-leading scorer in the CCAA, averaging 16.1 points a game, while shooting 49.0 percent from the field. Senior Danielle Peacon – a 6-foot-2 forward/center – averages 13.5 points and 6.4 rebounds a game, while junior guard Stephanie Lopez contributes 11.6 points and a team-high 3.7 assists a night.
Head to head: Chico State took both meetings with East Bay last season, and has won 21 of the last 23 dating back to 1991. The Wildcats lead the all-time series, 53-12.
Cal State Monterey Bay: It's been a tough season for the Otters following a 20-9 record in 2012-13 and reaching the NCAA West Region semifinals. Monterey Bay is 3-8 this season and occupies last place in the CCAA with a 0-8 conference mark. The Otters have not won since beating Notre Dame de Namur 53-38 back on Nov. 17. Since then, Monterey Bay has dropped eight straight, including two frustrating road losses last weekend to Cal State San Bernardino (47-46) and UC San Diego (40-38).
On the road: The Otters are 2-3 away from the team's home floor, The Kelp Bed in Seaside.
Team stats: Monterey Bay is a team on either end of the statistical spectrum. The Otters are dead last in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 55.3 points a contest (and just 42.3 points over their last three games), but Monterey Bay owns the conference's top defense, giving up only 58.8 points a night. The Otters like to shoot 3-pointers, averaging over 22 attempts per game and sinking 75 from beyond the arc – third most among CCAA teams.
Otters to watch: Junior guard Nikki Beckman is averaging a team-high 10.5 points and 4.1 assists a game, but she has missed Monterey Bay's last three contests. Senior forward/guard Ashley Morgan is averaging 8.9 points a night and leads the Otters in rebounds (6.6 a game) and 3-pointers (16).
Head to head: The Otters won two of the three meetings with Chico State last season, including a 66-64 loss in the opening round of the NCAA West Regional, ending the Wildcats' 2012-13 season. Cal State Monterey Bay has won three of the last four games, but the 'Cats hold a 14-6 lead in the all-time series between the two teams.
Coverage: Both games will be broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290 KPAY-AM and simulcast on the Wildcat Athletics website, with Mike Baca and Mike Wessels handling the play-by-play. Live Stats will also be available online.
