CARSON – The Chico State women's basketball team, beginning its longest road swing of the season Saturday in Southern California against Cal State Dominguez Hills, knew it would take a near-perfect effort to knock off one of the powerhouses of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) on its home floor. The Wildcats turned in a spirited effort, but a sluggish first quarter of offense combined with a poor night at the free throw line were the two key reasons the 'Cats ultimately fell to the Toros 83-74 at the Torodome in Carson.
Saturday's loss dropped Chico State to 5-6 on the season and 1-5 in the CCAA. Cal State Dominguez Hills, the preseason favorite to capture the conference title, won its fourth straight to improve to 7-6 overall and 5-0 in CCAA play.
The Wildcats drained a season-high 10 3-pointers, but were uncharacteristically done in at the charity stripe. Entering the game shooting 72.6 percent at the foul line, Chico State converted just 12 of its 21 foul shots. From the field, the 'Cats shot 37.1 percent (26-of-70) and made 40 percent of their 3-point tries (10-for-25).
Brooke Bowen knocked down three 3-pointers on the night to finish with a team-high 16. Freshman guard Irie Stokes also connected for three treys and contributed a career-best 15 points, with Whitney Branham adding 12 points. Natalie Valenzuela posted double figures for the fourth straight game, scoring 11 points while pulling down six rebounds and blocking a pair of shots. McKena Barker led the 'Cats' on the boards with nine rebounds.
Chico State and Dominguez Hills exchanged buckets in the first quarter's opening minute, but the Toros took command early by ripping off a 13-1 run while holding the Wildcats without a field goal for over six minutes. Barker finally ended the drought with a layup and Stokes added a 3-pointer, only to see Dominguez Hills extend its advantage to 24-10 at the end of the period.
The Wildcats came out firing in the second quarter –Bowen drained a pair of 3-pointers and Valenzuela knocked down a trey to highlight an 11-2 run to pull to within 28-21. Chico State played Dominguez Hills nearly even the rest of the period, though the 'Cats had several opportunities to significantly whittle down the deficit in the final two minutes. When the halftime horn sounded, the Toros went into the locker room with a 37-28 lead.
Chico State crept to within seven of Dominguez Hills twice in the opening minutes of the third quarter, but the Toros answered by scoring 22 of the next 31 points to go up 61-41. Kayla Taylor delivered a layup and Michelle Townsend railed a 3-pointer to pull the 'Cats to within 15, but at the end of the period Dominguez Hills boasted a 64-46 lead.
The Wildcats fell behind by 20 with 4:22 to go in the fourth quarter, but made the Toros sweat down the stretch. Two 3-pointers by Stokes and another by Bowen fueled a 18-4 run that brought Chico State to within six with about a minute left, but the 'Cats' wild comeback attempt would run out of time, as Dominguez Hills eventually posted the 83-74 victory.
Chico State concludes its long road trip next week, traveling to Arcata Thursday to take on Humboldt State, followed by a return to SoCal and a Saturday showdown against Cal Poly Pomona. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
