LA JOLLA – A day after nearly knocking off defending NCAA West Region champion Cal Poly Pomona, the Chico State women's basketball team traveled to La Jolla Saturday hoping to finish its Southern California road trip on a positive note by handing UC San Diego a loss on its home court. The Tritons, though, would have none of the Wildcats' upset aspirations, mounting an early lead they would never relinquish to roll to a lopsided 86-57 win at RIMAC Arena.    
 
Saturday's loss – Chico State's third straight and fifth in the last six games – dropped the Wildcats to 4-6 on the season and 1-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). UC San Diego won its third in a row to improve to 6-5 overall and 4-2 in CCAA play.
 

Hannah Womack was the top Chico State scorer, collecting 13 points on the night, with Whitney Branham contributing 10 points and three assists. Annie Ward knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and finished with eight points, while Ashtyn Anderson pulled down a team-high nine rebounds in just 14 minutes of action. The Wildcats shot 37.2 percent from the field, but hit just five field goals in 26 attempts (19.2 percent) in the second half.
 
UC San Diego led for nearly the entire first half. After the two teams exchanged buckets in the opening minutes, the Tritons scored eight unanswered points to go up 10-2 and forcing the Wildcats to play catch-up. A 3-pointer by Tyler Prange and layups by Womack and Michelle Walker pulled the 'Cats to within three, but UC San Diego responded with a 6-1 run to extend its lead to 18-10. Chico State whittled away at the deficit – Ward's first 3-pointer of the half helped the Wildcat creep within 18-15, and her second trey made it a 24-20 contest.
 
An 8-0 run stretched the Tritons' lead to 32-20, but the 'Cats scored eight straight of their own – Womack nailing a 3-pointer, Natalie Valenzuela dropping in a layup and Courtney Brignac converting a 3-point play – to cut UC San Diego's advantage to 32-28. The 'Cats' offense sputtered in the final 2:36, with the only score coming on a Walker layup; UC San Diego tallied eight late points to post a 40-30 halftime lead.
 
The Tritons maintained its double-digit lead for the first four minutes of the second period, but a 3-pointer by Branham brought Chico State to within nine at 46-37. UC San Diego proceeded to take total control of the contest, ripping off a 22-6 run to push its advantage to 68-43, and the Wildcats could get no closer than 21 the rest of the way. The Tritons outscored the 'Cats 16-8 over the final five minutes to cruise to the 86-57 victory.
 
Chico State returns home to play eight of its next 10 games in the friendly confines of Acker Gym. Next weekend the Wildcats host conference leader Humboldt State, with Cal State San Bernardino visiting Acker Gym on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.