CHICO – Those who came to Acker Gym Friday expecting a basketball game featuring lockdown defense and two teams grinding it out for 40 minutes for every precious hard-to-come-by basket got everything but when the Chico State and Humboldt State women's basketball teams took the court for a good old-fashioned, fast-paced shoot-em-up, with a combined 120 field goal attempts, 173 points and 20 total 3-point buckets between them. The Lumberjacks overcame a three-point halftime deficit, scoring 50 in the second half to outlast the Wildcats 89-84 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action.
 
Chico State suffered its fourth straight loss and sixth in the last seven games to slip to 4-7 on the season and 1-6 in the CCAA. Conference-leading Humboldt State extended its current winning streak to 10 straight with Friday's victory to improve to 11-1 overall and a perfect 7-0 in CCAA play.
 
 
 

Despite the loss, four Wildcats fattened up the stat sheet by scoring in double figures, with Hannah Womack's 16 points – 12 coming on 3-pointers – leading the way. Michelle Walker added a career-high 15 points to go along with five rebounds, while Whitney Branham and Brooke Bowen contributed 14 and 13 points, respectively. Womack and Annie Ward each had four assists in the losing effort, with Ashtyn Anderson chipping in with seven points and five boards off the bench.
 
Chico State led for the majority of the first half, thanks to a 17-9 run midway through the period, with Branham, Womack and Chanelle Di Croce each knocking down a 3-pointer to make the score 29-22. The Wildcats were still up seven when Humboldt State went on a 13-6 run to tie the contest at 39 apiece, but Womack drained a trey with four seconds left in the half to give Chico State a 42-39 lead at intermission.
 
The Wildcats held the momentum to start the second half, as a Ward 3-pointer and three Branham free throws helped Chico State once again extend its advantage to seven at 48-41. But Humboldt's offensive attack became relentless, scoring 23 points in an eight-minute stretch to grab a 64-58 lead with nine minutes left. Thanks to 19-for-20 free throw shooting in the half, the 'Cats hung around, trimming the deficit to one at 70-69 with a little over five minutes remaining. The Lumberjacks once again provided an answer on the offensive side of the ball, using a pair of 3-pointers to fuel a 15-8 run to go up 85-77 with 2:33 to go.
 
Chico State continued to fire away, with Ward threading a trey and Branham swishing four free throws to make it an 87-84 game with 49 seconds remaining. On its next possession, Humboldt State missed a 3-point attempt, but the Wildcats couldn't corral the rebound and were forced to foul. The Lumberjacks' Danielle Gaumer hit a pair of free throws to put the game out of reach, handing the 'Cats an 89-84 defeat.
 
The Wildcats are back in action Saturday, hosting Cal State San Bernardino at 5:30 p.m. It's also CARD Youth Basketball Night at Acker Gym presented by Les Schwab, featuring 5th and 6th grade Chico State Elementary School boys and girls who take part in the CARD After School Program playing basketball at halftime of the Wildcats' men's and women's games.