The Chico State women's basketball team wraps up the 2016-17 regular season this weekend, and the Wildcats, already assured of making the postseason, are anxious to finish on a strong note heading into next week's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament. To do so, the 'Cats will need to notch their "W's" on the road, as they travel to Hayward Friday to take on Cal State East Bay before squaring off Saturday with Cal State Monterey Bay in Seaside. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
Mike Baca will provide the play-by-play of both games on Newstalk 1290 KPAY-AM, and will be simulcast on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website. Live Stats and live streaming video is also available online.
Chico State, which clinched a CCAA Championship Tournament bid last weekend, currently sits in eighth place in the conference standings but holds the No. 7 tournament seed, with seventh place Cal State San Marcos ineligible for postseason play. Depending on a pair of Wildcat wins and what else happens around the conference this weekend, Chico State could finish as high as sixth place in the CCAA but no lower than eighth. The top eight CCAA teams at the end of the regular season advance to the conference tournament.
The Wildcats look to reverse their recent fortunes this weekend. Chico State is 14-10 overall and 9-9 in CCAA play, but has lost three in a row and four of its last six contests. The 'Cats were swept in a home-and-away series with Stanislaus State last week, falling to the Warriors 67-61 Thursday in Turlock before dropping a 63-57 decision Saturday at Acker Gym.
The Wildcats are 5-6 on the road this season.
Chico State is fifth among the 13 CCAA teams in scoring entering the weekend, averaging 63.4 points a game. The Wildcats rank second in team defense, surrendering just 58.9 points a contest.
Whitney Branham continues to be among the top CCAA players in a number of statistical categories. The junior guard is third in the conference in scoring (14.9 points a game) and is the CCAA's top free throw shooter (89.1 percent). Branham also ranks fifth in 3-pointers (56).
Several other Wildcats have recently stepped up their offensive production. Kayla Taylor is averaging 11 points over her last 11 games, while McKena Barker is contributing 10.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in her last four contests. Madison Wong is averaging 10 points over her last three games, with Sammy DeHart chipping in with a nine points per game average in her last three outings.
Cal State East Bay, Chico State's Friday night opponent, is 17-8 overall and in second place in the CCAA with a 14-4 conference record. The Pioneers—winners of four straight and nine of their last 10—could earn a share of the CCAA regular season title with two wins this weekend and a UC San Diego loss. East Bay won its lone game last week, downing Cal State San Marcos 81-68.
Cal State East Bay is 7-4 this season on its home floor, Pioneer Gymnasium.
The Pioneers rank third in the CCAA in both offense and defense, scoring an average of 64.4 points a game while giving up 60.4 points a contest.
Shomari Harris is not only East Bay's top scorer, she leads all CCAA players with a 16.6 points per game average. The senior guard is also third in the conference in assists (4.2 a game) while connecting on a team-high 34 3-point baskets.
Senior center Remy Puou averages 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds a game. The reigning CCAA Player of the Week has pulled down 34 boards in her last two games, including 20 in the Pioneers' win last Saturday against San Marcos.
Friday marks the lone meeting of the season between Chico State and Cal State East Bay. The Pioneers have won the last six meetings dating back to 2014, but the Wildcats hold a 53-18 advantage in the all-time series.
Cal State Monterey Bay, which hosts the 'Cats Saturday following a Friday meeting with Stanislaus State, is 6-19 on the season and tied for 11th place in the CCAA with a 3-15 conference record. There will be no postseason for the Otters, which enters the weekend having lost two straight and four of their last six contests. Monterey Bay played just once last week, falling to Cal State San Marcos 86-63.
The Otters are 5-6 this season at The Kelp Bed in Seaside.
Monterey Bay is 11th in the CCAA in scoring, averaging 60.4 points a game. Defensively, the Otters rank 10th among conference teams, allowing 64.8 points per contest.
Monterey Bay is one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the CCAA, thanks in large part to senior guard Victoria Dorn. She leads the conference with 82 treys while averaging 11.7 points a game. Senior forward McKenna Hills is the Otters' top scorer, averaging 12.2 points to go along with 6.6 rebounds a game.
Earlier this season, the Wildcats beat the Otters 76-38 December 29 at Acker Gym. Chico State has won the last six meetings with Monterey Bay and lead the all-time series 20-6.
