Six conference games left for the Chico State women's basketball team – and every one of them is a biggie. The Wildcats, in the thick of the race for a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament bid, have to finish strong to punch their ticket to the postseason. This weekend the 'Cats hit for the road for a pair of challenging matchups, as they take on No. 23 UC San Diego Friday and Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
Fans can follow the action locally on Newstalk 1290-AM, KPAY, with Mike Baca's play-by-play simulcast on the Internet through the Wildcat Athletics website. Live Stats and live streaming video are also available online.
Chico State has won five of its last seven games and enters the weekend 10-10 overall. The Wildcats are in ninth place in the CCAA with a 5-9 conference record, a half-game back of Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State L.A. and a game-and-a-half behind Cal State San Bernardino in the battle for one of the eight CCAA Championship Tournament berths.
The 'Cats split a pair of home games last weekend, falling to Cal State East Bay 55-53 Friday before rolling over Cal State Monterey Bay 60-36 on Saturday.
The Wildcats are 3-7 on the road this season.
Chico State's offense currently ranks seventh among the 13 CCAA teams, averaging 63.4 points a game. Defensively, the Wildcats are No. 2 in the conference, allowing just 59.3 points a contest. In their last three games, the 'Cats' have been extra stingy on defense, giving up just 47.7 points a game.
Individually, Whitney Branham is the Wildcats' leading scorer (11.8 points a game) while topping the team with 30 3-point field goals. Brooke Bowen has 24 3's while averaging 9.3 points a contest, with McKena Barker contributing 8.9 points and 7.6 rebounds (fifth best in the CCAA) per night. Sherise Porchia ranks second in the conference in assists, averaging 4.5 dishes a game.
UC San Diego has reached the national top 25 on the strength of an 18-3 overall record. The Tritons are in second place in the CCAA (13-2), just a game behind conference leader Cal State Dominguez Hills.
UC San Diego enters the weekend on a four-game winning streak and has triumphed in 10 of its last 11 outings. The Tritons played just one game last week, beating Cal State San Bernardino 65-58.
The Tritons are 7-1 this season on their home floor, RIMAC Arena.
UC San Diego's senior guard Jamie Katuna is the CCAA's leading scorer, averaging 18.0 points a game. Senior forward Farrah Shokoor averages 14.8 points a contest and is the conference's top rebounder (12.2 boards a night). Junior guard Beth Mounier has knocked down 42 3-pointers while averaging 10.7 points a game, and Taylor Tanita paces the CCAA in assists, doling out an average of 5.0 a contest.
Chico State has won two of the last three meetings against UC San Diego, but has lost 11 straight games at RIMAC Arena dating back to the 2006-07 season. UC San Diego leads the all-time series with the Wildcats 22-13.
Cal State San Bernardino, which takes on the Wildcats Saturday following a Friday matchup against Stanislaus State, is 10-10 on the season and in sixth place in the CCAA with a 7-8 conference record. The Coyotes are currently in a tailspin, having lost five straight since winning their last game back on Jan. 22.
Last week San Bernardino lost a non-conference game to Point Loma before falling to UC San Diego 65-58.
The Coyotes are 4-3 this season on their home floor, Coussoulis Arena.
San Bernardino is sixth in the CCAA in offense, averaging 63.7 points a game. On defense, the Coyotes rank seventh in the conference, surrendering 61.8 points a contest.
San Bernardino is led by senior guard Chelsea Barnes (13.3 points, 5.5 rebounds a game). Senior guard Alexcia Mack has drained 24 3-pointers while averaging 11.8 points a game, with senior guard Chelsea Austin being the Coyotes' main deep threat with 33 treys on the season.
Cal State San Bernardino has won the last two meetings with the Wildcats, but Chico State holds a 25-13 lead in the all-time series between the two teams.
