In any sport, teams talk about peaking at the right time. The Chico State women's basketball team isn't talking about it. The Wildcats are doing it—just in time for the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament.
The Wildcats have won three straight and six of their last seven games, earning the fourth seed in the tournament with a 14-8 record in the CCAA to go with their 16-10 overall mark.
The flourish at the regular season's finish gives the Wildcats the chance to host No. 5 Cal State LA (13-9 CCAA, 14-14) in a quarterfinal on Tuesday. Tipoff is at 5:30 p.m. with the Chico State men taking on Cal State San Bernardino at 7:30 p.m. as part of the men's tournament.
This is the women's first playoff game at Acker Gym since 2013, and this season's squad has especially benefited from playing at home. The Wildcats are 11-2 in front of their fans including a 64-55 victory over Cal State LA on Dec. 29.
CCAA Tournament quarterfinal tickets are available for purchase at the University Box Office or by calling (530) 898-6333 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday and starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Chico State student tickets for the postseason are $3 with a valid ID, but the Athletic Department will foot the bill for the first 200 students at Acker Gym Tuesday night with a valid Chico State ID. The ticket window will open at 4:30.
Chico State basketball ticket prices are: $10 for Section A-G (seatback seating); $8 for general admission; $3 for Chico State students with a valid ID (after the first 200 with valid ID get in free); $5 for seniors 60 and older and visiting students with ID; $3 for children 3-17 years old; and children 2 and younger get in free.
The winner of Tuesday's quarterfinal advances to the semifinals set for Friday at Cal Poly Pomona against the winner of top-seeded UC San Diego and No. 8 Sonoma State.
Tuesday's contest is a contrast of styles. The Wildcats ranked second in scoring among the 13 CCAA teams, averaging 69 points per game. The Golden Eagles were 11th at 62.8 and the lowest of the eight teams to qualify for the CCAA tourney. Cal State LA was seventh defensively, allowing 63.8 while Chico State was ninth at 66.3.
The Wildcats also were much more proficient from beyond the arc and at the line. On 3-pointers, their 36.8 percent was second in the conference. LA was ninth at 28.5. Chico State's free-throw percentage of 81.8, in addition to leading the CCAA, ranks third in all of Division II. The Golden Eagles were fifth in the conference at 71.4.
Whitney Branham was critical to the Wildcats' efforts in both of those areas. The conference's leading scorer at 18.4 points per game, the senior guard was also No. 1 in the CCAA in 3-pointers with 64 and was third with 116 free throws. Her 87.2 percentage from the line was second in the CCAA with teammate McKena Barker third at 85.7.
In the penultimate game of the regular season, a 63-49 victory at San Francisco State, Branham became the program's all-time leader in 3s, surpassing the 196 of Audi Spencer (2004-08). Branham brings in a total of 202 to Tuesday's game.
For all of her standout performances, Branham's most recent game was among her best, if not her most complete. She scored 18 points while tallying five rebounds, seven assists and a career-high eight steals in a 75-68 victory at Sonoma State. The assists were one off her career high, and the steals were one off the program record, set by former Head Coach Mary Ann Lazzarini in 1974 during her playing days.
The clearest evidence of the Wildcats' recent upswing is this—they won their final three road contests of the regular season after managing two victories in their first eight road games.
The contributions have come from several players. Four players scored in double digits at Sonoma State with Kayla Taylor turning in 16 points, Madison Wong adding 13 and Barker totaling 12. Reserve Shay Stark had eight.
The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, dropped their last two regular-season games, falling at Cal State San Marcos 71-63 and then 75-71 at UC San Diego, the CCAA regular-season champion. Before those two defeats, LA had won six straight.
Chico State and Cal State LA split their regular-season meetings with each victorious at home. After the Wildcats' 64-55 win on Dec. 29, the Golden Eagles flipped the script when the calendar turned and won 78-61 on Jan. 27 in Southern California. The advantage in the all-time series belongs to Chico State at 35-15.
The Golden Eagles are led by center Rikke Fabricius, who averages 14.8 points per game, good for ninth in the CCAA, and 9.4 rebounds a contest, which is fifth.
The last postseason game at home for Chico State was March 5, 2013, when the Wildcats beat San Francisco State 62-49. First-year assistant coach Monnie Davidson-Mays was a senior standout on that squad. She had 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the win.
The most recent postseason victory of any kind was in 2014 when Chico State beat Cal State Dominguez Hills 90-70 in the West Regional. Last year, Chico State qualified for the CCAA tourney but fell 68-55 at Cal State East Bay in the quarterfinals.
Tuesday's game will be broadcast locally on Newstalk 1290-AM KPAY with the broadcast simulcast on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website. Live Stats, audio and video will also be available through the Wildcat Athletics homepage and the schedule page for women's basketball.
2017-18 CCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
First Round – Tuesday, Feb. 27 (campus sites – higher seed hosts)
#1 UC San Diego vs. #8 Sonoma State at 5:30 p.m.
#2 Cal Poly Pomona vs. #7 Cal State Dominguez Hills at 5:30 p.m.
#3 Humboldt State vs. #6 Cal State East Bay
#4 Chico State vs. #5 Cal State LA at 5:30 p.m.
Semifinals – Friday, March 2 (Kellogg Arena – Cal Poly Pomona)
* 5:35 p.m. – UC San Diego/Sonoma State winner vs.
Chico State/Cal State LA winner
* 8:05 p.m. – Cal Poly Pomona/Cal State Dominguez Hills winner vs. Humboldt State/Cal State East Bay Winner
Final – Saturday, March 3 (Kellogg Arena – Cal Poly Pomona)
* 7:35 p.m. – Championship game
*Times are subject to change; If the Cal Poly Pomona men advance to the semifinals, but the women do not, game sessions will flip-flop, with the women playing first both days.
