ST. GEORGE, Utah – They may be young. They may be inexperienced when it comes to playing at the Division II level. But the members of the Chico State women's basketball team have displayed enough heart and hustle over the first three games of the 2014-15 season to guarantee fans plenty of excitement over the next several months. The Wildcats cut a 22-point second half deficit down to three Saturday against Alaska Fairbanks, only to have their comeback come up just short as the Nanooks prevailed 81-77 in action at the Dixie Thanksgiving Classic in St. George, Utah.
 
Saturday's loss dropped Chico State to 2-1 on the season, while Alaska Fairbanks improved its record to a perfect 5-0.
 

Annie Ward led four Chico State players in double figures, scoring 13 of her 15 points in the opening half. Hannah Womack posted a dozen points on the day, as did freshman Lauren Johnson. Courtney Brignac added 10 points, while Chanelle Di Croce tallied seven points and nine rebounds for the 'Cats.
 
Ward gave Chico State a quick 2-0 lead to open the first half, but that was about the only Wildcat highlight through the first nine minutes, as the team shot just 2-for-16 from the field (12.5 percent), 0-for-4 from beyond the arc and 1-for-4 from the free throw line. Alaska Fairbanks went on a 9-1 run to take the lead, and following a Ward jumper, the 'Cats went over four minutes without a point as the Nanooks extended their advantage to 18-5.
 
Alaska Fairbanks went up 15 at 24-9 before the Wildcat offense finally started clicking. Two Natalie Valenzuela layups, a Ward 3-pointer, a layup by Brignac and a 3-point play by Womack helped Chico State trim the deficit to single digits, but with the score 34-25, the Nanooks outscored the Wildcats 7-3 in the final 1:43 of the period to go into halftime leading 43-28.
 
Whitney Branham got the second half off to a positive start with a layup, but Alaska Fairbanks responded with three 3-pointers to highlight an 11-2 run and balloon the Nanooks' lead to 54-32. The youthful Wildcats didn't hang their heads; they kept battling and reeled off 10 straight points – Brignac and Tyler Prange each knocking down a pair of shots – to pull Chico State to within 58-46.
 
Alaska Fairbanks pushed the lead back to 15, but six unanswered points by the 'Cats made it a 63-54 game with 7:51 to go. The Nanooks went back up by 13 when Chico State made one last surge – three Lauren Johnson layups and baskets by Brignac, Womack and Walker pulled the Wildcats to within 73-70 with 1:47 left. But a layup by Alaska Fairbanks' Jordan Wilson and a three-point play by Benissa Bulaya extended the Nanooks lead to eight, and despite a late layup by Brignac and a 3-pointer by Chanelle Di Croce, the clock ran out on the 'Cats' comeback attempt, and Alaska Fairbanks escaped with the 81-77 victory.  
 
The Wildcats are back in action Sunday, Nov. 30, traveling to Oakland to take on Holy Names in their final non-conference game of the season. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.