Box Score CARSON – Talk about digging deep. The Chico State women's basketball team was coming off a subpar performance Friday in a loss to Cal State L.A., and for the first 20 minutes of Saturday's contest against Cal State Dominguez Hills, the Wildcats were held to their lowest-scoring first half of the season. But the 'Cats collectively reached for something extra and turned it around with authority in the second half, outscoring the host Toros 28-14 over the final 18:52 to come away with a big 54-51 road win at the Torodome in Carson.
With the win, Chico State splits its weekend Southern California road trip and improves to 16-6 overall while moving back into a three-way tie with Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. for second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings with a 12-6 conference mark. Dominguez Hills slipped to 16-6 on the season and 12-6 in CCAA play with Saturday's loss.
Jazmine Miller scored 19 points – 14 in the pivotal second half – and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the victorious 'Cats. Analise Riezebos added eight rebounds, a game-high 12 rebounds and a huge blocked shot in the game's final seconds. Courtney Hamilton contributed seven points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Chico State spotted Cal State Dominguez Hills the first two points of the contest, then went on a 10-2 run – highlighted by Miller 3-point play – to put the Wildcats on top by six. The Toros pulled to within 12-9, only to see Hannah Womack rail a 3-pointer to put the 'Cats up 15-9. But the Chico State offense suddenly went silent, collecting just two field goals in the final 12:46 of the period, allowing Dominguez Hills to jump way out in front – the Toros went on a 24-6 run to close out the first half and take a 33-21 lead into intermission.
Chico State came out firing in the second half, with Annie Ward knocking down a 3-pointer and Hamilton connecting on a jumper, but Dominguez Hills held on to its double-digit lead at 37-26 with 18:52 remaining. The Wildcat defense stiffened, denying the Toros a field goal for over seven minutes, and a 12-0 Chico State run – sparked by 3-pointers by Miller and Ward – put the 'Cats in front 42-40. Dominguez Hills quickly tied the game, but the Wildcat offense continued to produce points – Miller hit a jumper and 3-pointer, Ashtyn Anderson delivered a layup, and Michelle Walker chipped in with a free throw to give Chico State a 50-42 lead with seven minutes to play.
Dominguez Hills was down, but not out – three consecutive buckets pulled the Toros to within 50-49 with 4:22 to go. Chico State was still nursing a one-point lead with under a minute remaining when Taylor Rayford missed a layup that would have given Dominguez Hills the lead. The Wildcats promptly turned the ball over, giving the Toros another chance at a game-winning shot – but Courtney Hamilton came up with a huge defensive play, tying up Rayford and forcing a turnover. The 'Cats took over possession with seven seconds left, and Miller hit two clutch free throws to effectively ice the contest. A desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer by the Toros' Breanne Garcia was blocked by Riezebos, and Chico State escaped with an exciting 54-51 victory and a sweep of the season series.
Chico State is back in action next weekend for their final road trip of the regular season. Friday the Wildcats take on Cal State Monterey Bay, followed by a trip to Hayward and a Saturday showdown with Cal State East Bay.
