POMONA – Job one in protecting a lead is taking care of the basketball. The Chico State women's basketball team learned that painful lesson Saturday night.
The Wildcats committed eight of their season-high 21 turnovers in the fourth quarter as a six-point lead dissolved into a 65-58 defeat at Cal Poly Pomona in Kellogg Arena.
Chico State fell to 5-8 overall and 1-7 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Cal Poly Pomona improved to 5-10 overall and 3-5 in the CCAA.
McKena Barker notched her second consecutive
double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.Sherise Porchia scored a season-high 15 points and McKena Barker bagged her second consecutive double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Wildcats. Brooke Bowen chipped in 10 points and Whitney Branham eight.
The Wildcats finished the first half with a 12-4 run, capped by a pair of Bowen jumpers, and led 30-26.
After Cal Poly Pomona regained the lead, a 7-0 run capped by Porchia's 3-pointer gave the Wildcats a 43-38 edge with 4:01 left in the third quarter.
Back to back buckets from Barker and Michelle Townsend gave the Wildcats a four-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. But the Broncos took advantage of three straight turnovers to start the fourth quarter to tie the game at 49.
Twice the Wildcats built the lead back up to three only to see the Broncos hit game-tying threes. With 2:47 remaining, Alyssa Benton drilled a 3-pointer to give Cal Poly Pomona a 59-56 lead – its first since midway through the third quarter.
It was a lead the Broncos would not relinquish.
A Natalie Valenzuela bucket brought the Wildcats to within 59-58 with 2:25 to play. But they committed turnovers on their next two possessions as Cal Poly Pomona milked the clock with the help of a big offensive rebound while building the lead to four.
The Wildcats missed their final three shots and Cal Poly Pomona hit four of its last five free throws to salt the game away.
The Wildcats have now lost seven straight on the road but will play six of their next seven and nine of their last 13 at home beginning Friday night against San Francisco State at 5:30.
