CHICO – For the first 20 minutes Friday, the Chico State women's basketball team executed to near perfection. The Wildcats were aggressive on both ends of the floor against UC San Diego, leading by as many as 20 points on the way to registering their highest scoring first half of the season. The Tritons rallied in the second half and threatened to snatch a come-from-behind victory, but the 'Cats dug deep down the stretch, scoring 15 points in the final 3:17 to come away with a big 76-70 win at Acker Gym.
Chanelle Di Croce matched her
career high as a Wildcat with 10
points against UC San Diego.Friday's victory pushed Chico State's season record to 8-11 and 5-10 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). UC San Diego lost their sixth road contest in nine tries this season to fall to 11-9 overall and 9-6 in CCAA play.
Whitney Branham scored 11 second half points to pace the Wildcats with 19, matching her career high, while pulling down a team-leading five rebounds. Hannah Womack and Brooke Bowen chipped in with 14 points apiece, with Chanelle Di Croce coming off the bench to match her career best with 10 points. As a team Chico State shot 48 percent from the field (24-of-50) and hit all but five of its 26 free throw attempts. UC San Diego's Farrah Shokoor led all players Friday with 22 points and 17 rebounds.
With the game tied at nine early in the first half, the 'Cats streaked to a double-digit lead on the strength of a 12-2 run – Bowen and Di Croce each nailing a 3-pointer to highlight the surge – to go up 21-11. UC San Diego pulled to within seven, only to see Womack answer with a trey, and with buckets by Womack, Branham, Bowen and Di Croce, Chico State outscored the Tritions 19-6 to extend its advantage to 42-22. A jumper by Michelle Walker concluded the first half scoring to give the 'Cats a 44-27 lead at intermission.
It was the Tritons that came out aggressive to open the second half, scoring the first 11 points of the period to pull to within 44-38. A clutch 3-pointer by Annie Ward and a Branham layup pushed Chico State's lead back to 11, but with the score 51-40, UC San Diego went on 15-4 run to catch the 'Cats and tie the game at 55-all with 7:31 to play.
DiCroce immediately knocked home a huge 3-pointer that would put the Wildcats ahead to stay. UC San Diego once again whittled down the deficit, pulling to within 61-60 with 3:35 remaining. But with the game on the line, Branham provided the long distance daggers with a pair of 3-pointers to balloon Chico State's lead to 69-62 with 42 seconds to go. The Tritons were forced to foul repeatedly, and Womack, Di Croce and Natalie Valenzuela all hit a pair of free throws in the waning seconds to hold off UC San Diego, and the Wildcats won going away 76-70 to split the season series with the Tritons.
Chico State concludes the weekend's action when it hosts Cal Poly Pomona (14-5, 12-3 CCAA) Saturday at Acker Gym. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
