The Chico State women's basketball team was bound and determined not to enter 2016 without a win in December, and in Thursday's New Year's Eve matinee against Cal State L.A., the Wildcats delivered their biggest offensive effort of the season. It turned out they needed it against a high-scoring Golden Eagles team – after seeing an 18-point third quarter lead dwindle to two with 4:39 to play, the 'Cats held firm down the stretch and came away with an 83-74 victory at Acker Gym.
 
The win – Chico State's first since Nov. 22 – snapped the team's five-game losing streak, evening the 'Cats overall record at 5-5 and improving their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) mark to 1-4. Cal State L.A. suffered its third straight loss to fall to 3-7 on the season and 1-3 in CCAA play.

 

The Wildcats featured four players scoring in double figures, with McKena Barker leading the way with a career-high 17 points. Natalie Valenzuela tied her personal best with 16 points; Whitney Branham added 16 and Brooke Bowen contributed 13 points. Sherise Porchia scored five points and paced the 'Cats with six rebounds and a career-best 11 assists. Chico State drained a season-high nine 3-pointers on the afternoon, with Branham 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
 
The first quarter of Thursday's contest was a back-and-forth affair, with four ties and eight lead changes. Down 12-11 late in the period, Bowen buried a 3-pointer and followed with a pair of layups to put the 'Cats in front 18-14. The lead didn't last long, as Cal State L.A.'s Samantha Lee connected on a 3-pointer with two seconds left in the quarter to tie the game at 21-all.
 
Chico State dominated the second period, outscoring the Golden Eagles 28-15. Branham and Michelle Townsend set the tone with back-to-back 3-pointers, and a Valenzuela trey capped a 24-8 run to put the Wildcats in front 45-29. The 'Cats were still up by 16 before Cal State L.A.'s Rikke Fabricius dialed long distance with three seconds remaining in the quarter, and Chico State had to be content with a 49-36 halftime lead.
 
Both teams had difficulty scoring early in the third quarter, but a Bowen 3-pointer bookended by two Branham layups pushed the Wildcats' advantage to 56-38. The Golden Eagles closed strong, whittling the deficit to 11 before the end of the period, but the 'Cats still owned a seemingly comfortable 64-53 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
A Branham 3-pointer was all the offense Chico State could muster in the first four minutes of the final period, allowing Cal State L.A. to creep to within 67-65 with 5:45 remaining. The Wildcats still led by a deuce with four-and-a-half minutes to go before Valenzuela delivered a clutch layup and 3-point bucket to widen Chico State's advantage to 74-67. The Golden Eagles answered with a pair of layups to close to within three, but that would be as close as Cal State L.A. would get – Porchia hit a jumper and a free throw late, and free throws by Valenzuela and Barker down the stretch salted the game away, giving the 'Cats the 83-74 victory.
 
Chico State takes New Year's Day off before resuming play Saturday in Southern California, where the Wildcats tangle with conference co-leader Cal State Dominguez Hills (6-6 overall, 4-0 CCAA). Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.; Mike Baca will provide the play-by-play locally on Newstalk 1290-AM KPAY and on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website. Live stats and live streaming video are also available online.