Following a pair of very productive exhibition games, the Chico State women's basketball team will officially lift the lid on the 2016-17 season this Friday and Saturday, traveling to Belmont to take part in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)/Pacific West Challenge, hosted by Notre Dame de Namur. The Wildcats will open up the regular season Friday at 1 p.m. against Dominican University, then wrap up weekend play with a Saturday showdown with Notre Dame de Namur at 3 p.m.
Fans will be able to follow the action with online-only broadcasts of both contests, with Mitch Cox providing the play-by-play through the Wildcat Athletics website. Live streaming video is also available online.
Chico State enters the 2016-17 season looking to improve on last year's 10-16 record and return to the postseason for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign. The Wildcats are also hoping to continue what has developed into an impressive annual tradition – a victory Friday will mark the 18th straight year the Chico State women's basketball team has won its season-opening game.
The Wildcats, picked to finish fourth in the annual CCAA preseason coaches' poll, bring back nine players and four starters from last season's squad, including All-CCAA selections Whitney Branham and McKena Barker.
Chico State tuned up for the CCAA/Pac West Challenge with two recent exhibition games against Division I schools. The Wildcats downed University of the Pacific 80-76 in overtime on Oct. 30 before dropping a hard-fought 83-68 decision to Santa Clara last Saturday.
Dominican did not play any exhibitions and is playing its first game of the season when it takes on the Wildcats Friday afternoon. The Penguins posted an 18-11 record in 2015-16 and finished fifth in the Pac West with a 13-7 conference mark.
Chico State has won two straight against Dominican, including an 68-54 decision Nov. 15, 2014 in the last meeting between the two teams. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 3-1.
Notre Dame de Namur, which takes on the Wildcats Saturday following a Friday matchup against Sonoma State, went 2-1 in exhibition play, including a 90-45 blowout Tuesday against Pacific Union. The Argonauts are coming off a 3-25 season in 2015-16, finishing 13th in the Pac West with a 2-18 conference record.
Chico State is a perfect 18-0 in the all-time series against Notre Dame de Namur. Last season the Wildcats defeated the Argonauts 56-45 Nov. 8 during the Coslet Classic CCAA/Pac West Challenge.
