The members of the Chico State women's basketball team are no doubt looking forward to Thanksgiving and enjoying the traditional feast that is associated with the holiday. The Wildcats evidently decided to first whet their collective appetites Tuesday by taking a bite out of the visiting Fresno Pacific Sunbirds. The 'Cats shot a blistering 79 percent in the first quarter, burying five 3-pointers in the first three-and-a-half minutes and cruising to an 85-63 victory at Acker Gym.
Tuesday's win—Chico State's fifth straight—moved the Wildcats to 5-1 on the season. It's the program's longest winning streak since stringing together seven victories during the 2013-14 season. Fresno Pacific dropped to 0-4 overall.
Chico State's well-balanced attack featured six players scoring in double figures. Whitney Branham collected all of her team-high 15 points in the first half, with Natalie Valenzuela adding 14 points. Tyler Prange racked up a career-high 13 points, Kayla Taylor added a dozen, Michelle Townsend scored 11 points and Lauren Lete added 10 as the Wildcats shot 54 percent on the night. Jo Paine grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with six points and seven assists.
The 'Cats flew out of the blocks in the first quarter, draining their first seven shots—five from beyond the 3-point arc. Townsend knocked down a pair of treys in the first two minutes, Valenzuela nailed a shot from downtown and Branham hit back-to-back 3-pointers as Chico State raced out to a 21-3 lead. Baskets by Branham, Taylor and Prange helped the Wildcats extend their advantage, taking a sizeable 35-13 lead into the second period.
The two teams played it even during the first six minutes of the second quarter, but with the score 47-27 Chico State once stepped on the gas, with buckets by Townsend, Valenzuela and Sherise Porchia highlighting a late 10-2 run to put the Wildcats up 57-29 at halftime. The offensive outburst during the opening 20 minutes of the contest marked the 'Cats' most productive first half in nearly 10 years, when they scored 57 on October 4, 2006 en route to a 101-66 win over Cal State Monterey Bay.
Fresno Pacific could not get closer than 22 points the rest of the way. The Wildcats pushed its lead to 62-29 early in the third quarter thanks to layups by Valenzuela and Townsend, and by the end of the period Chico State still boasted a 29-point lead at 75-46.
A 3-pointer by Lete set the tone for the fourth quarter, as Chico State took an 83-50 lead, and with well over six minutes remaining, the Wildcats threatened to break the century mark. The 'Cats finally cooled off, as the Sunbirds scored 13 of the game's final 15 points, but Chico State still came away with an impressive 85-63 victory.
Chico State will break for the Thanksgiving weekend before preparing for its California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opener Thursday, December 1. The Wildcats will travel to La Jolla to face UC San Diego at RIMAC Arena.
