CHICO – For the second straight night, the Chico State women's basketball team dug a second half hole too deep to climb out of – but it wasn't for lack of trying. The Wildcats outscored Cal State L.A. 26-11 over the final nine minutes Saturday to cut a 22-point deficit to five, only to run out of time as the host Golden Eagles hung on to record a 73-66 victory at the Eagles' Nest in Los Angeles. 
 
Saturday's loss dropped Chico State to 3-3 on the season and 0-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State L.A. won its second straight to improve to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
 

Brooke Bowen posted a double-double for the Wildcats, scoring 15 points and snaring 11 rebounds while also adding a team-high four assists. Tyler Prange nailed a pair of 3-pointers to finish with a career-high 10 points, with Hannah Womack also scoring 10. Chanelle Di Croce and Michelle Walker each contributed eight points, while Natalie Valenzuela collected six points and a career-best seven rebounds.
 
The contest was a back-and-forth affair during the opening 11 minutes of the first half, with eight tie scores and six lead changes. A layup by Prange put Chico State on top 24-23, but six unanswered Cal State L.A. points gave the Golden Eagles a 29-24 advantage. The Wildcats finished the period in the midst of a scoring drought that saw Chico State hit just two field goals – one a 3-pointer by Annie Ward – over the final 8:46. Cal State L.A. outscored the 'Cats 18-5 during that stretch and went into halftime with a 41-29 lead.
 
The Golden Eagles pushed its advantage to 14 early in the second half, but a Womack 3-pointer and a pair of three throws by Walker trimmed the deficit to single digits at 45-36. The comeback attempt proved to be short-lived, however, as Cal State L.A. scored 10 straight points to go up 55-36.
 
The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 22 before Chico State made one last surge – Chanelle Di Croce scored seven points, Prange knocked down a 3-pointer and layups by Prange, Bowen and Valenzuela highlighted an 18-4 run to pull to within 66-58 with 3:26 to play. A 3-pointer by Cal State L.A. briefly stopped the bleeding, but the Wildcats responded with an 8-2 run – capped off by another Prange 3-pointer – to make it a 71-66 game with 18 seconds to go. That would be as close as the 'Cats would get, as the Golden Eagles converted a pair of late free throws to escape with the 73-66 victory.
 
The Wildcats are back in action next Saturday, traveling to Turlock to take on CCAA rival Cal State Stanislaus (2-3, 0-2 CCAA). Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.