CHICO – Don't look now, but the Chico State women's basketball team has reestablished itself as a force to be reckoned with in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). After a rough December/early January that featured four losses over a six-game stretch and a drop to ninth place in the conference standings, the Wildcats have won three in a row and five of the last six to vault back into contention for one of the six CCAA Championship Tournament berths. The 'Cats look to continue their productive run this weekend, hosting Sonoma State on Friday and San Francisco State Saturday at Acker Gym. Both games will tip off at 5:30 p.m.

Where they stand: Chico State is 11-5 overall, and have moved into a tie with Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State L.A. for fifth place in the CCAA with a 7-5 conference record. Last week the Wildcats swept a pair of big road contests, besting No. 14 Cal Poly Pomona 85-73 on Thursday, then coming from behind with a 21-6 run late in the second half to upend Humboldt State 69-66.

At home: The 'Cats are 4-2 at Acker Gym this season, and have won three of their five conference home games.


Individual achievements: The Wildcats are well represented at or near the top of the various CCAA statistical categories:
     - Courtney Hamilton is the top conference player in assists (6.7 a game, which is also third best in the nation) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1). She's also second in the CCAA in steals (2.3 per game) and sixth in blocked shots (1.1 a contest).
     - Jazmine Miller, Chico State's leading scorer (13.4 points a game), is ranked 12th in the conference. The reigning CCAA Player of the Week is third in free throw percentage (86.2 percent) and sixth in 3-point field goals (31).
     - McKenzie Dalthorp continues to lead the CCAA in field goal percentage, sinking 54.0 percent of her shots.
     - Hannah Womack is second in the conference in free throw percentage (89.4 percent) and tied for eighth in 3-point field goals (27).
     - Analise Riezebos is fourth in the CCAA in field goal percentage (53.2 percent) and ranks 14th in the conference in rebounds (6.8 a game).
     - Annie Ward is 10th among conference shooters in 3-pointers (25), 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (36.8 percent) and 12th in field goal percentage (45.7 percent).

Sonoma State: The Seawolves are hoping the second half of the conference schedule is more successful than the first – Sonoma State is 2-14 overall and tied with Cal State Monterey Bay for 11th place in the CCAA with a 1-11 conference record. The Seawolves have not won since topping San Francisco State back on Dec. 22; since then, they've dropped eight in a row, including losses last weekend to Cal State East Bay (71-39) and Cal State Monterey Bay (50-36).

On the road: Sonoma State has yet to win away from its home floor, the Wolves' Den in Rohnert Park. The Seawolves sport a 0-8 road record entering play Friday.

Team stats: The Seawolves are 11th in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 54.8 points a game. Sonoma State has really struggled on offense recently, averaging just 40 points over the last three contests. Defensively, the Seawolves are 10th among CCAA teams, surrendering 68.6 points a contest.

Seawolves to watch: Junior guard/forward Bronte Sheahan is Sonoma State's leading scorer, averaging 9.8 points a game. Senior guard/forward averages 9.4 points a game and leads the Seawolves in rebounds and assists (5.9 and 2.6 a game, respectively). Sophomore point guard Tanner Adams, averaging 7.4 points a game, is Sonoma's deep threat, knocking down 23 3-pointers on the season.

Head to head: In the first meeting of the year between the two teams, Chico State got past Sonoma State 65-58 Dec. 7 in Rohnert Park. The Wildcats have beaten the Seawolves three straight and 18 of the last 22 dating back to the 2002-03 season. All-time, the 'Cats hold a 61-18 advantage.

San Francisco State: The Gators have also scuffled in the new year, dropping six of their last nine after winning the first three conference games of the season. Last week, San Francisco State split a pair of road tilts, beating Cal State Monterey Bay 66-59 before falling to Cal State East Bay 74-54.

On the road: While San Francisco State has been dominant at The Swamp, winning seven of eight home games this season, the Gators are just 3-7 on the road.

Team stats: San Francisco State is fifth in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 70.3 points a game, and rank ninth in defense, allowing 66.9 points per night. The Gators enter the weekend second among conference teams in 3-point field goals (111), fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (33.8 percent), steals (8.3 a game) and blocks (3.1 a contest), and fifth in assists (13.3 per game).

Gators to watch: Senior guard Katie Batlin, a transfer from Division I Saint Mary's, is one of the top players in the CCAA this season, ranking 10th in scoring (13.8 points per game), fifth in both rebounds (7.7 a game) and assists (3.7 per contest), and leads the conference in steals (2.8 a game). Senior guard Angela Van Sickel, who torched the Wildcats for 24 points earlier in the season, is third in the CCAA in 3-pointers (37) while averaging 13.7 points a game, while junior guard/forwards Leticia Galarza and Michelle Sutton and senior guard Kimmie Fung have combined for 39 3-pointers on the season.

Head to head: The Gators handed Chico State its worst loss of the season back on Dec. 6, blasting the Wildcats 82-65 at The Swamp. Despite the double-digit setback, the 'Cats have won 20 of the last 22 meetings between the two teams and lead the all-time series 68-21.

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.