SAN FRANCISCO – The Chico State women's basketball team's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opener was nowhere near a thing of beauty, but up until the final two minutes of Friday's road tilt with San Francisco State, it looked as if the Wildcats had done just enough to cobble together an ugly victory. Instead, the host Gators saved their best for last, using a 7-0 run in the final 1:37 to shock the 'Cats 49-47 at The Swamp in San Francisco.  
 
Friday's loss dropped Chico State from the ranks of the unbeaten, as the Wildcats slipped to 4-1 on the season. San Francisco State won its second straight, evening the Gators' overall record at 3-3.
 
Whitney Branham and McKena Barker each registered their first career double-doubles for the 'Cats – Branham scored 11 points, pulled down a personal best 11 rebounds and knocked down three 3-pointers, while Barker poured in 10 points and snared 12 boards. Brooke Bowen also contributed 11 points, and through Chico State outrebounded San Francisco State 43-30, the Wildcats shot just 30.5 percent on the night while committing 19 turnovers. 
 
The Wildcat defense held San Francisco State to just two field goals in the first quarter, but Chico State could only convert three of 12 shots in the period. After Barker and Sherise Porchia each delivered a layup in the first minute of play, the 'Cats connected for just one bucket for the rest of the quarter. Eight Gators free throws gave San Francisco State a 12-9 lead heading into the second quarter.
 
Chico State's shooting woes continued in the second 10-minute stanza, as the Wildcats misfired on 14 of 18 shot attempts. The 'Cats defense, though, continued to excel – after a 3-pointer extended San Francisco State's advantage to 18-14, the Gators managed just one field goal for the remainder of the period. Chico State finished the quarter on a 7-2 run – Branham hit a 3-pointer, with Barker and Lauren Johnson providing layups to give the Wildcats a 21-20 halftime lead.
 
With the score tied 25-all early in the third quarter, the 'Cats established their biggest lead of the game with a 7-0 run, fueled by a Branham 3-pointer, a Kayla Taylor layup and two Bowen free throws to make the score 32-25. Buckets by Bowen and Natalie Valenzuela accounted for Chico State's offense for the rest of the period, and the Wildcats went into the fourth quarter with a 36-31 lead.
 
San Francisco State twice pulled to within one in the final period, but jumpers by Bowen and Barker stretched Chico State's advantage to 32-27. That was quickly wiped out by a 5-0 Gators run, but with 3:32 remaining Branham's 3-pointer put the 'Cats back in front 45-42. A Barker layup pushed the lead back to five, but San Francisco State pulled to within 47-46 with 43 seconds to go. The Wildcats missed an opportunity to pad their lead with two missed free throws with 28 seconds remaining, then with the clock winding down, fouled the Gators' Tatsiana Dashkevich attempting a 3-pointer. Dashkevich calmly hit all three foul shots to put San Francisco State in front, then the Gators denied the Wildcats in the final seconds to steal the 49-47 victory.    
 
Chico State is back in action Saturday, as the Wildcats travel to Hayward to take on Cal State East Bay (5-2, 1-0 CCAA). Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.