HAYWARD—The 2016-17 edition of the Chico State women's basketball team will be remembered for battling through injuries, battling opponents and battling the odds. Operating with just eight players for most of the season, the Wildcats proved to be a hard-nosed and competitive unit, and was rewarded for its tenacity with a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament bid. The 'Cats' postseason turned out to be a short one, though, as No. 2 seed Cal State East Bay defeated No. 7 Chico State 68-55 Tuesday night at Pioneer Gymnasium in Hayward.
Tuesday's loss capped off a 2016-17 season that saw Chico State post an overall record of 15-12. Cal State East Bay, which now advances to the CCAA Championship Tournament semifinals at Cal State San Marcos, improved to 20-8 on the season.
Kayla Taylor led the Wildcats with 16 points in Chico State's season finale. Whitney Branham hit two 3-pointers on the way to a 12-point night, with Madison Wong scoring 10 points and handing out three assists. McKena Barker topped the 'Cats with six rebounds.
In the opening period, a pair of Taylor jumpers gave Chico State an early 4-3 lead, but East Bay overcame four turnovers in the first three minutes to put together a 13-4 run and go up 16-8. Wong's 3-pointer just before the end of the period pulled the Wildcats to within 16-11 heading into the second quarter.
The Pioneers extended its advantage to 10 four minutes into the second period, but a Wong 3-pointer and Taylor jumper helped Chico State creep to within 27-22. Taylor hit the final Wildcat bucket of the quarter, and East Bay went into halftime with a 31-24 lead.
The Wildcats lost some ground early in the third quarter, as East Bay stretched its advantage to 41-30. Chico State, however, owned the final five minutes of the period, using a 10-2 run—highlighted by a DeHart jumper, layups by Barker and Sherise Porchia, and free throws by Wong and Branham—to cut the deficit to 43-40. The Pioneers' Shomari Harris nailed a 3-pointer in the quarter's final seconds, but Wong answered with a jumper to make the score 46-42 heading into the final 10-minute stanza.
The 'Cats stayed close at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and a Branham 3-pointer with 6:15 to play brought Chico State to within 51-47. East Bay's dominance on the boards finally proved to be too much, as the Pioneers steadily took control of the contest by scoring 17 of the next 23 points, ballooning their lead to 68-53 with less than a minute to play. Porchia ended the scoring with a pair of free throws, but East Bay easily ran out the clock to post the 68-55 victory, knocking Chico State out of the CCAA Championship Tournament and ending the Wildcats' season.
