SAN BERNARDINO—For the first 14 minutes of Thursday's Chico State-Cal State San Bernardino women's basketball game, the Wildcats' defense was stifling, holding the host Coyotes to just three field goals and nine points. But while San Bernardino's offense finally kicked in—hitting eight field goals and outscoring the 'Cats 54-36 over the final two-and-a-half quarters—Chico State struggled to find the bottom of the net, shooting an icy 32.3 percent on the night to fall to the Coyotes 63-55 at Coussoulis Arena.
Thursday's loss dropped Chico State to 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State San Bernardino improved to 4-7 on the season, and 3-4 in conference play.
Shay Stark and Madison Wong led the 'Cats offensively, each scoring 12 points, with Wong adding three 3-pointers and four assists to her personal stat line. McKena Barker registered her third double-double of the year and 15th of her Chico State career with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Natalie Valenzuela added eight points and six rebounds.
While San Bernardino didn't exactly burn up the twine, shooting a tepid 35.3 percent from the field, the Wildcats hit just 20 of their 62 field goal attempts and were just 6-for-18 from beyond the arc. The 'Cats were also beaten on the boards, as the Coyotes forged a 43-37 rebounding advantage.
Chico State's defense held San Bernardino to 2-for-11 shooting in the opening quarter and grabbed an early lead. A 3-pointer by Wong and layups by Barker and Stark put the 'Cats up 9-2, and with a 3-pointer the lone Coyotes field goal over the final six-and-a-half-minutes of the period, buckets by Valenzuela and Vanessa Holland gave Chico State a 13-5 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Wildcats twice pushed their advantage to double digits in the second 10-minute stanza, with a Holland 3-pointer making the score 19-9. San Bernardino responded with a 10-0 run to tie the contest, but Myli Martinez nailed a trey to put the 'Cats back on top. Two Coyotes' free throws completed the quarter's scoring, with Chico State taking a slim 22-21 lead into intermission.
San Bernardino came roaring out of the gate in the second half. After Valenzuela dropped in a layup for the Wildcats, the Coyotes knocked down three 3-pointers to fuel a 13-2 run to jump out in front 34-26. Chico State fought back, scoring 11 of the final 17 points of the third quarter—Martinez knocked down another 3-pointer, while Barker, Valenzuela, and Stark each posted layups—to climb to within 40-37 with 10 minutes to play.
Unfortunately, the 'Cats' offense couldn't get hot in the fourth quarter. Stark registered a layup and a pair of free throws to pull Chico State to within 43-41 early in the period, but could only manage two more field goals over the next seven minutes. This allowed San Bernardino to slowly push its advantage to nine points, and with the clock winding down, the Wildcats were forced to foul. The Coyotes made eight free throws in the final minute to ice the contest, and despite two late 3-pointers by Wong, the 'Cats couldn't avoid their second straight loss, as San Bernardino rolled to the 63-55 victory.
The Wildcats are back in action Saturday in an afternoon contest against Cal State San Marcos. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.; Mike Baca provides the play-by-play locally on Newstalk KPAY (1290 AM and 102.9 FM), with the broadcast simulcast on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website. Live Stats and live streaming video are also available online.
