HAYWARD—The Chico State women's basketball team didn't deliver its finest offensive effort of the season against Cal State East Bay, but the Wildcats still finished just a couple of points shy of their per-game season average. On the defensive end, though, the 'Cats allowed the host Pioneers to connect on 58.7 percent of their field goal attempts and 11-of-18 3-point tries. Despite East Bay's deadly shooting, it was a close contest before the Pioneers closed it out with a 13-1 run in the final 3:20 to win going away 79-69.
 
Saturday's loss dropped the Wildcats to 4-5 on the season and into a four-way tie for fifth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 3-3 conference record. Cal State East Bay improved to 5-5 overall and 3-3 in CCAA play.
 
Four Wildcats scored in double figures Saturday. Whitney Branham led the way with 17 points, with Jo Paine hitting three 3-pointers on the way to a season-high 15-point effort. Kayla Taylor chipped in with 11 points, while Shay Stark added a career-high 11 points in the losing effort.
 
Cal State East Bay began the contest hitting four of its first five shots—three from 3-point range—to jump out to a quick 12-4 lead. Fueled by a Branham trey, a Paine layup and six free throws, the Wildcats responded with an 11-4 run to pull to within 16-15. The Pioneers closed out the high-scoring first period by ripping off nine of the final 13 points to take a 25-19 advantage into the second quarter.
 
The East Bay lead didn't last long, as the 'Cats began the period on an impressive 16-1 run—Stark buried a 3-pointer, Hannah Washington converted a three-point play and McKena Barker sank a pair of buckets—to put Chico State in front 35-26. The Pioneers answered with a run of their own, scoring 11 of the next 13 points to tie the contest at 37-all. The Wildcats went back in front courtesy of a Paine 3-pointer and a Stark jumper, and though East Bay connected on a late bucket, Chico State owned a 42-39 lead at halftime.
 
The Wildcats' offense was ice cold at the start of the third period, missing their first seven shots. The Pioneers took full advantage, using a 17-2 run to roar out in front 56-44. Chico State finally started to heat up in the final three-and-a-half minutes of the quarter—Paine connected for a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws, Branham dropped in a layup and free throw, and Vanessa Holland hit a layup at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 58-54 heading into the final period.
 
Baskets by Barker, Kayla Taylor and Aqeelah Williams kept Chico State close early in the fourth quarter, and with the score 63-60, a pair of three-point plays by Branham and a Stark layup put the Wildcats up 68-66. East Bay stepped up to completely take over the remainder of the contest, draining a 3-pointer, a pair of jumpers and two free throws down the stretch to cement the 79-69 victory and hand the Wildcats their fifth road loss in six tries this season.
 
The Wildcats are back in action Tuesday, hosting Simpson University in a non-conference game at Acker Gym. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.