The fans filing out of Chico State's Acker Gym after Saturday night's CCAA/Pac West Challenge-Carl's Jr. Coslet Classic finale didn't need a detective to tell them that it was an inside job. They witnessed with their own eyes the Wildcats' dominance inside the paint all night.
 
If it was a game of Clue®, the winner would have had Chico State disposing of Holy Names in the paint with a band of hammers.
 

Post players Brooke Bowen, Kayla Taylor and McKena Barker combined for 45 points as Chico State outscored Holy Names 48-20 in the paint on the way to a 64-40 win.
 
Bowen led all scorers with 15 points and Taylor and Barker scored 10 apiece. Bowen and Barker were each named to the All-Tournament Team. Whitney Branham, who carried the Wildcats to victory Friday night against Notre Dame de Namur with 19 points, was the Tournament's Most Valuable Player.
 
Chico State (2-0) also got strong contributions from point guard Sherise Porchia (nine points, four rebounds and two steals), reserve post player Natalie Valenzuela (four points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists in 16 minutes) and true freshman backup point guard Ire Stokes (seven points on 3-of-5 shooting).
 
After falling behind 17-11, the Wildcats used a 17-3 push to take control of the game. Porchia and Taylor scored six points apiece during the run and Valenzuela contributed a bucket, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
 
Taylor's jumper 29 seconds before intermission gave Chico State its largest lead to that point, 30-22. The sophomore transfer from Diablo Valley Community College scored eight points in the second quarter.
 
Bowen took the baton in the third quarter, scoring 11 points, as the Wildcats' lead ballooned to 20. The senior scored nine points during a 13-3 run that put Chico State in control 51-31.
 
The Wildcats lead reached its peak of 26 with Haley Cremen's inside bucket with 1:53 to play.
 
Chico State won the battle of the boards 33-27, led by Porchia, Barker and Valenzuela with four apiece. Every Wildcat had at least one rebound and 10 had two or more.
 
The Wildcats are back in action next weekend at the Western Oregon Hampton Inn D2 Shootout in Monmouth, Oregon. They'll face Western Oregon Saturday at 2 p.m. and Saint Martin's Sunday at noon.
 
CCAA/Pac West Challenge-Carl's Jr. Coslet Classic All-Tournament Team:
Most Valuable Player: Whitney Branham, Chico State
Tanner Adams - Sonoma State
Kirstin Liana - Notre Dame de Namur
Tatiana Howard - Holy Names
Brooke Bowen - Chico State
McKena Barker - Chico State