The Chico State women's basketball team is back at Acker Gym this weekend, taking on two of the top teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Head Coach Brian Fogel's squad will not only attempt to notch important wins against a pair of tough conference foes, but even the score against both Cal State San Bernardino and UC San Diego, which beat the Wildcats earlier this season. The 'Cats welcome the Coyotes Friday, with the conference-leading Tritons coming to town on Saturday. Each game is slated to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
 
Mike Baca and Mike Wessels will provide the play-by-play locally on Newstalk 1290 KPAY-AM, with the broadcasts simulcast on the Internet through the Wildcat Athletics website. Fans unable to attend the games in person can also follow the action online with Live Stats and live streaming video.
       
Chico State, 11-6 on the season and in seventh place in the CCAA with a 6-5 conference record, enter the weekend with six wins in its last eight contests. The Wildcats stretched its winning streak to three last Thursday with a 57-45 victory over Humboldt State before falling 72-69 in overtime Saturday to Cal Poly Pomona.
 
The 'Cats have proven tough to beat at home this season, winning eight of nine games at Acker Gym.
 
It's been awhile since the Chico State have beaten either Cal State San Bernardino or UC San Diego. The Coyotes clipped the 'Cats 63-58 January 6 at Coussoulis Arena and have won the last four decisions between the two teams, while the Tritons extended their winning streak over Chico State to nine straight with their 58-55 victory December 1 at RIMAC Arena in La Jolla.
 
The Wildcats rank fourth in the CCAA in team offense, averaging 65.4 points per game. Chico State is the top defensive team in the conference, holding opponents to just 57.7 points per contest.
 
Whitney Branham, coming off a sensational weekend (averaging 23.5 points a game and knocking down 11 3-pointers in the Wildcats' two road tilts), is second in the CCAA in scoring (16.1 points per game), leads the conference in free throw percentage (89.1 percent) and ranks fourth in 3-pointers (a career-high 44).
 
Cal State San Bernardino, Chico State's Friday night opponent, is 9-5 overall and in fifth place in the CCAA with a 6-4 conference record. The Coyotes beat San Francisco State 72-38 last Wednesday, but saw their four game winning streak come to an end Saturday with a 65-61 loss to Cal State San Marcos.
 
Cal State San Bernardino is 6-3 on the road this season.
 
The Coyotes' offense ranks eighth in the CCAA, scoring an average of 63.1 points per night. San Bernardino doesn't shoot a lot from downtown, with only 44 3-pointers on the season. Defensively, the Coyotes are third among the 13 conference teams, allowing just 61.3 points a game. San Bernardino is the top rebounding team in the CCAA, averaging 41.6 boards a contest.
 
The Coyotes are led by senior forward Mya Johnson, averaging 14.8 points a game and a CCAA-best 9.5 rebounds per contest. Johnson posted back-to-back double-doubles last week, including a 16-point, 20-rebound performance against Cal State San Marcos.
 
Senior forward Casie Johnson averages 8.6 points and 6.1 rebounds a game, while freshman guard Courtney Coleman (who torched the Wildcats on January 6 with four 3-pointers and a career-high 15 points) leads the Coyotes with 14 3-pointers on the season.
 
Despite having lost the last four meetings, Chico State leads the all-time series with San Bernardino 25-15.
 
UC San Diego, which takes on the Wildcats Saturday after a Friday showdown with Stanislaus State, has not lost in nearly two months. The Tritons enter the week on a 10-game winning streak, boosting the team's overall record to 14-3 and establishing a two-game lead atop the CCAA standings with a 10-1 conference mark. UC San Diego played just one game last week, breezing to an 84-60 win Thursday over Cal State San Marcos.
 
The Tritons have won six of nine decisions on the road this season.
 
UC San Diego is the CCAA's top scoring team, averaging 70.4 points per game. The Tritons lead the conference in 3-pointers (134) and is second in rebounds (40.1 boards a contest).
 
UC San Diego ranks fourth in the CCAA in defense, holding opponents to 61.7 points a game.
 
The Tritons have three players scoring in double figures. Senior guard Beth Mounier is averaging 11.6 points a game and has connected for a team-high 31 3-pointers, with sophomore guard Joleen Yang contributing 10.8 points a night. Senior forward Cassie MacLeod averages 10.8 points and 6.9 rebounds a game.
 
Junior forward Dalayna Sampton chips in with 9.4 points and a team-best 7.8 rebounds a game.
 
UC San Diego leads the all-time series with Chico State 24-13. The last time the Wildcats beat the Tritons was February 13, 2010, a 77-67 win at Acker Gym.