Relaxed and refreshed following a week-long holiday break, the Chico State women's basketball team is back on the court at Acker Gym, resuming practice and preparing for a big California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) contest this Saturday. The Wildcats, sitting in second place in the conference standings, travel to Southern California to take on third place Cal Poly Pomona at Kellogg Gym. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.
Mike Baca will be courtside to provide the play-by-play, broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290-AM KPAY and simulcast on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website. Live Stats and live streaming video will also be available online.
The Wildcats, 7-1 on the season and 4-1 in CCAA play, puts a four-game winning streak on the line Saturday against the 7-2 Broncos (4-2 in the CCAA). Chico State scored a come-from-behind 62-61 victory December 15 against Humboldt State, holding the Lumberjacks scoreless over the last two minutes of the contest, and winning on a pair of Shay Stark free throws with 1.1 second remaining.
Cal Poly Pomona saw its six-game win streak go by the boards December 19 against Cal State San Marcos. Despite a furious rally in the game's final minute, the Broncos dropped a 70-68 decision to the Cougars.
Saturday's game will once again raise the classic question: "who wins in a battle between a great offense and a great defense?" Chico State's defense has surrendered just 59.4 points a game this season—fourth-lowest among the 13 CCAA teams—while Pomona ranks second in the conference in scoring, averaging 77 points per contest.
Offensively, the Wildcats are averaging 65.5 points a game, while the Broncos "D" has given up 67.2 points a night.
Pomona is 3-1 on its home floor, Kellogg Gym. Chico State has won five of six on the road this season, though the Wildcats have not beaten the Broncos in Southern California since the 2013–14 campaign.
Madison Wong enters Saturday's contest as the Wildcats' leading scorer (10.8 points a game), and is tied for fourth in the CCAA with 19 3-pointers. Natalie Valenzuela contributes 9.8 points a game, and her 11 blocked shots rank her among the conference leaders. McKena Barker is averaging 9.4 points a night, is fourth in the CCAA in free throw percentage (80 percent), and sixth in rebounding (8.9 per game).
Pomona features two of the top four scorers in the CCAA. Senior guard Jordyn Shane ranks second in the conference, averaging 16.8 points a game, while junior forward Rebecca Islas is fourth in scoring (15.2 points a game), while also grabbing 8.8 rebounds a contest and connecting on a team-high 14 3-pointers.
The Broncos have won seven of the last eight meetings with the Wildcats, and lead the all-time series 28-24.
