SAN BERNARDINO – The Chico State women's basketball team has been as good as anyone in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) through the first 30 minutes of each game this season. It's the final 10 minutes that continues to give the Wildcats problems, resulting in victories slipping from their grasp. It was more of the same Saturday against Cal State San Bernardino – the 'Cats took an eight point lead into the fourth quarter, only to be outscored by the Coyotes 31-12 in the final period to fall 68-57 at Coussoulis Arena.
The loss drops Chico State to 10-12 on the season and 5-11 in the CCAA. Cal State San Bernardino improves to 12-10 overall and 9-8 in conference play.
Whitney Branham provided the bulk of the Wildcats' offense, knocking down four 3-pointers en route to a 22-point night. Sammy DeHart posted new career highs with eight points and 10 rebounds, while Natalie Valenzuela contributed eight points. Chico State shot 31.3 percent (21-for-67) on the evening, but just 26.7 percent (4-for-15) in the pivotal fourth quarter.
Cal State San Bernardino took a 4-2 lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but a Branham 3-pointer, two buckets by Sammy DeHart and a Natalie Valenzuela 3-point play highlighted a 12-4 Chico State run to put the Wildcats in front 14-8. The Coyotes scored five of the period's final seven points to close to within 16-13.
San Bernardino went out in front two minutes into the second quarter and were still up 22-20 when the 'Cats responded with a 9-2 run – Branham hitting another 3-pointer and Kayla Taylor adding a pair of layups – to give Chico State a 29-24 lead. The Coyotes twice whittled the deficit down to three, but two McKena Barker free throws late in the period gave the Wildcats a 33-28 halftime lead.
San Bernardino scored the first two field goals of the third quarter to pull to within one, only to see Chico State score 10 of the next 12 points – Valenzuela posted back-to-back layups, with Barker, Branham and Brooke Bowen adding buckets – to extend Chico State's lead to 43-34. Branham closed out the period with a pair of free throws, and the Wildcats went into the fourth quarter up 45-37.
It took just the first four-and-a-half minutes of the final period to erase three solid quarters of play, as San Bernardino ripped off a 13-1 run to grab a 50-46 lead. Branham answered with a big 3-pointer to bring the 'Cats back to within one, but the Coyotes responded with seven unanswered points to go up 57-49. Branham immediately cut the deficit to five with another 3-ball, but that would be as close at the 'Cats would get, as San Bernardino closed things out with a three-point play and nine free throws in the final 2:21 to roll to the 68-57 victory.
The Wildcats return home next weekend to take on Cal Poly Pomona Friday in a nationally televised game on ESPN, followed by a Saturday Senior Night showdown with Humboldt State. Both games will tip off at 5:30 p.m.
