The Chico State women's basketball team went to toe-to-toe with the conference leader on Thursday night, as the Wildcats and the UC San Diego Tritons took turns with the lead on 13 occasions and were tied 11 times.
 
But a 12th tie never came, and more importantly neither did a 14th lead change as the Tritons finished the game on a 12-0 run for a 67-55 victory over the Wildcats at Acker Gym.
 
The loss dropped Chico State to 13-10 overall and 11-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).
 
UC San Diego improved to 22-3 overall and 18-1 in the CCAA. The Tritons had already clinched the regular-season conference crown on Feb. 10.
 
Kayla Taylor led the Wildcats with her first career double-double, scoring 18 points and a personal best 10 rebounds to go with three steals. The point total was one off the senior's career high as well.
 
Chico State took a 45-42 lead into the fourth quarter after both Whitney Branham and Taylor made a pair of free throws late in the third.
 
But their last eight trips down the court didn't produce any points for the Wildcats as McKena Barker's layup with 4 minutes, 57 seconds remaining would account for their final points.
 
Barker's basket tied the game at 55 before the Tritons showed why they already own the regular-season CCAA title. Dalayna Sampton scored seven of UC San Diego's decisive dozen as part of a 25-10 advantage in the fourth quarter.
 
That dealt the Wildcats just their second setback at home in 12 contests this season.
 
Sampton, who finished with 15 points, was one of four Tritons to score in double figures.
 
After Taylor's 18 points, Branham had nine points and six rebounds while Barker added eight points.
 
Branham again lifted her name in the program's record book. Her first basket of the game, a 3-pointer, moved her past Natasha Smith (2007-10, 11-12) for sixth place on the all-time points list. Smith had 1,371. Branham entered Thursday's game tied with her but now has 1,380. Next up for Branham to take aim at is the 1,397 points of Samantha Copenhaver (1984-88) for fifth among all Wildcats.
 
Branham is even higher in career 3s with 192, leaving her in second place and just four from No. 1 in Wildcat history. Audi Spencer (2004-08) made 196.
 
Branham's early 3 was the lone make for the Wildcats from beyond the arc in 13 attempts including four tries in the fourth while the Tritons' Taylor Tanita made a trio of 3s in the period.
 
In the final quarter, the Tritons outrebounded the 'Cats 13-3, including 7-2 on the offensive boards. That led to a 6-0 advantage for UC San Diego in second-chance points in the period. After the third quarter, the two teams had 27 rebounds apiece in what largely had been an even contest.
 
The Tritons had the early advantage on the scoreboard before a 9-0 run gave Chico State its first lead of the night at 19-18 with 8:12 left in the second quarter.
 
The Wildcats' run started in the first quarter as Shay Stark hit a jumper and Barker made two free throws to get the hosts within 18-14. The momentum continued into the second period. A Brynn Thoming jumper preceded a three-point play from Madison Wong. She was fouled as she hit a layup that tied the game before she completed the and-1 for the lead.
 
Chico State kept the Tritons scoreless for 4:22 during the run.
 
From there, neither team would lead by more than four points as the two were deadlocked time and again, including 29-29 at halftime before tying each other throughout the third quarter at 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 42 and then finally in the fourth quarter at 45.
 
The 11th and final tie came on Barker's layup at 55-all.  
 
Combined with Cal State LA's 58-55 victory over Stanislaus State, the Wildcats fell 1.5 games back in the race for fourth place in the conference and a home game in the CCAA Championship Tournament quarterfinals. The Golden Eagles are 13-7 in the CCAA with two games left at Cal State San Marcos and at UC San Diego next week.
 
The Wildcats have three games left, starting with Senior Night on Saturday as they host Cal State San Marcos on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m., but prior to the game's start the team's four seniors — Branham, Taylor, Jo Paine and Haley Cremen — will be honored by Chico State. The Wildcats close the regular season at San Francisco State on Feb. 23 and then at Sonoma State on Feb. 24.