In easily the most tightly-played contest of the 2019–20 season, the Chico State and Cal State East Bay women's basketball teams engaged in a defense-dominated battle Saturday night at Acker Gym. If 17 tie scores and 21 lead changes isn't convincing enough, the largest lead the whole night was a whopping seven points. The 'Cats held a three-point advantage with three seconds left in regulation, but the visiting Pioneers used three free throws to force overtime, then scored the game-winner with three ticks left in the extra period to nip Chico State 63-62.
Saturday's tough defeat—the Wildcats' second straight home loss—dropped Chico State to 4-3 on the season and 0-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State East Bay improved to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
Myli Martinez scored a career-high 15 points to lead four Wildcats in double figures. Haley Ison and Maddy Wong each contributed 11 points to the 'Cats' attack, while Daisha Abdelkader added 10 points and five assists. Hannah Washington pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
Chico State struck quickly in the opening quarter, with a jumper by Ison and 3-pointers by Wong and Martinez staking the Wildcats to an early 8-3 lead. East Bay scored five unanswered points to knot up the contest, and was ahead 15-14 when Vanessa Holland railed a trey with under a minute left in the period, giving the 'Cats a 17-15 lead heading into the second quarter.
Chico State's offense was ice-cold in the second 10-minute stanza, missing 12 of 13 shots. A Mikaila Wegenke put-back layup accounted for the Wildcats' only bucket, and East Bay took full advantage by outscoring the 'Cats 11-2 to roar out in front 26-19. Chico State crept back into the contest by holding the Pioneers scoreless over the final 5:38 of the period and chipping away from the free throw line—Martinez made six straight charity tosses, and single free throws by Wong and Abdelkader gave the Wildcats a 27-26 halftime lead.
Buckets by Abdelkader and Wegenke and a 3-pointer by Wong helped Chico State build a 34-29 advantage four minutes into the third quarter, but East Bay finished the period on a 15-4 run to regain the lead and enter the fourth quarter up 44-38.
The Pioneers extended their lead to seven at 50-43 with six minutes left in regulation, only to see the Wildcats hold East Bay without a field goal for the rest of the quarter. Chico State once again did its damage at the free throw line, as Martinez and Abdelkader combined to go 10-for-10 from the foul stripe to put the 'Cats in front 53-50 with 17 seconds left. It appeared that would be enough for the Wildcats to register the "W," but East Bay's Kincso Kelemen was fouled on a 3-point attempt with three seconds remaining. She calmly hit all three free throws, tying up the contest and sending it into overtime at 53-all.
The Pioneers took a 59-55 lead with 1:40 left in OT, but Chico State used a 3-pointer by Abdelkader and two Washington free throws to jump on top 60-59. Both teams hit a pair of free throws in the waning moments, and with 17 seconds remaining, Wong's two successful foul shots gave the Wildcats a 62-61 lead. For the second straight period, though, their slim lead would not hold up—East Bay's Morgan Green connected on a short jumper with three seconds left, and that would prove to be the game-winner as the Pioneers prevailed by a final of 63-62.
The Wildcats take a short break for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to practice late next week. Chico State is back in action Thursday, December 5, when the 'Cats travel to Southern California to take on the Tritons of UC San Diego. Tipoff at RIMAC Arena is slated for 5:30 p.m.
