CHICO – The road miles have been many this season for the Chico State women's basketball team, but the final weekend trip is luckily not from one end of the state to the other – in fact, it's just a few hours away from the friendly confines of Acker Gym. The Wildcats, looking to finish strong in the last four games of the 2014-15 campaign, will be in the Bay Area this Friday to take on Sonoma State, followed by a Saturday matchup with San Francisco State. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
The Wildcats enter the weekend 8-14 overall and tied for eighth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 5-13 conference record. Chico State will attempt to reverse its recent fortunes, which have seen the 'Cats lose three straight and five of the last six contests. The Wildcats dropped a pair on the road last week, falling to Cal State San Bernardino 71-52 on Thursday and 85-65 Saturday to Humboldt State.
Chico State is still fifth in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 65.5 points a game. Defensively, the Wildcats rank 10th among the 12 conference teams, giving up 68.2 points per contest. The 'Cats remain the top free-throw shooting team in the CCAA, hitting a collective 76.2 percent of its foul shots.
Individually, Hannah Womack is fifth among CCAA players in scoring (14.3 points a game) and free throw percentage (84.8 percent) while ranking seventh in the conference in 3-pointers (39). Whitney Branham, averaging 9.7 points a game, is third in the CCAA in free throw percentage (85.7 percent), with Annie Ward's 36 3-pointers ranking 12th in the conference. Brooke Bowen heads into the season's final road trip averaging 9.8 points and a team-high 5.2 rebounds a game.
Chico State enters the weekend with a 4-8 road record on the season.
Sonoma State, the Wildcats' Friday night opponent, is in the midst of a 12-games losing streak that has resulted in a 6-16 overall record and a share of 10th place in the CCAA with a 4-14 conference record. Last weekend the Seawolves lost big at home to both Cal Poly Pomona and UC San Diego.
The Seawolves are 11th in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 60.5 points a game, and rank eighth in team defense, surrendering 66.6 points per contest. Sonoma State is 4-8 this season on its home floor, the Wolves' Den.
Sonoma is led by junior center Hannah Sourek, who is 10th in the CCAA in scoring with a 12.8 points per game average while pulling down a team-high 6.4 rebounds a contest. Junior point guard Tanner Adams in the Seawolves' top long-distance shooting threat with 37 3-pointers on the season.
In the first meeting of the season between the two teams, Chico State beat Sonoma 63-57 in overtime Jan. 17 at Acker Gym. The Wildcats have won 20 of the last 24 meetings and leads the all-time series with the Seawolves 63-18.
San Francisco State, which faces the Wildcats following a Friday night matchup with Cal State Stanislaus, is still in search of its first win of the season. The Gators enter the weekend 0-22 overall and in last place in the CCAA with an 0-18 conference record. San Francisco fell last weekend to UC San Diego and Cal Poly Pomona, extending its losing streak to 26 straight dating back to last season. The last time the Gators found themselves in the win column was over a year ago when they beat Pomona on Feb. 15, 2014.
San Francisco State is last in the CCAA in scoring, averaging just 55.8 points a game, but the Gators aren't afraid to shoot the 3-ball, averaging well over 22 attempts per game from beyond the arc. San Francisco has struggled on defense this season, ranking 12th in the CCAA by allowing an average of 74.3 points per night. The Gators are 0-10 on their home floor, The Swamp.
The Gators' top offensive weapon is senior guard/forward Michelle Sutton, averaging 11.4 points a game. Junior guard Jasmine Flanagan contributes 8.6 points a game and leads San Francisco with 26 3-pointers.
The Wildcats handled the Gators easily in the first meeting of the season, winning 67-40 Jan. 16 at Acker Gym. Chico State has won 22 of the last 24 contests with the Gators and holds a large 70-21 advantage in the all-time series.
Mike Baca will provide the play-by-play of both Chico State contests locally on Newstalk 1290 KPAY-AM or on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website. Fans can also follow the action via Live Stats and live streaming video, accessible through the Wildcat Athletics website.
