After a week's worth of rest and holiday cheer, the Chico State women's basketball team is wasting no time jumping right back into an already-intense California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) race. The Wildcats, currently riding a season-best four-game winning streak, head to Southern California for a pair of important conference contests to begin the new calendar year, taking on Cal State LA Thursday at 5:30 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. tilt Saturday against Cal State Dominguez Hills.
 
Fans can follow the action of both games locally on Newstalk 93.9 KPAY FM. Mike Baca's broadcasts will be simulcast on the Internet through the Wildcat Athletics website, which will also feature Live Stats and live streaming video.
 
Chico State hopes to pick up where they left off at the holiday break. Since December 7, the Wildcats—now 8-4 on the season—rose from the bottom of the CCAA standings into a tie for fifth place with a 4-3 conference record. During the winning streak, the 'Cats defense has been superb, holding opponents to an average of just 59.5 points a game. The offense has been doing major damage from long distance, connecting on 45.5 percent of its 3-pointers, and the 108 points generated from behind the arc in the four straight wins has accounted for nearly 40 percent of the team's scoring.
 
The Wildcats' most recent win was a 60-51 triumph December 21 at Acker Gym against Humboldt State.
 
For the season, Chico State is averaging 62.8 points a game on offense, while allowing just 60.3 points on the defensive end—fifth best among the 13 CCAA teams.
 
Individually, Maddy Wong continues to be the Wildcats' leading scorer, averaging 12.1 points a game. Her 39 3-point field goals rank second among all CCAA players, and she enters the week needing just three treys to pass Hall of Famer Kim Abts' 180 and vault into third place on Chico State's career 3-pointers list.
 
Daisha Abdelkader, averaging 6.6 points a game, is sixth in the CCAA in assists (3.6 a contest). Shay Stark (8.5 points a game) is ninth in the conference, averaging 3.1 assists per game.
 
Chico State heads to SoCal with a 4-2 road record on the season.
 
Cal State LA, which hosts the Wildcats Thursday, is 4-9 overall and is tied for 10th place in the CCAA with a 2-5 conference record.  The Golden Eagles finished December on a four-game losing streak, including conference losses to Cal State Dominguez Hills December 19 and Sonoma State on December 21.
 
Cal State LA is 1-2 this season playing on its home floor, the Eagles' Nest.
 
Cal State LA is one of the top scoring teams in the CCAA, averaging 67.5 points a game. The Golden Eagles struggle on defense, however, surrendering over 73 points a contest. Cal State LA has allowed at least 72 points a game in eight of its last nine outings.
 
Senior guard Sydney Bordonaro, a transfer from Division I Long Beach State, averages a team-high 16.5 points a game—third in the CCAA—and leads the conference with 46 3-pointers. Freshman guard Nicole Flennaugh contributes 11.4 points a contest and has knocked down 23 shots from beyond the arc, while senior center Rachael DiRegolo is the Golden Eagles' top rebounder, hauling in 6.7 boards a game.
 
Chico State and Cal State LA split their two meetings last season. Despite the Wildcats holding a 37-16 lead in the all-time series, Chico State has not beaten the Golden Eagles in Los Angeles since January, 2013.
 
Saturday's afternoon game against the Wildcats will be the first game for Cal State Dominguez Hills since beating Cal State Monterey Bay 81-62 back on December 21. The Toros, in the midst of a modest two-game winning streak, sport an overall record of 6-7 and currently sit in ninth place in the CCAA with a 3-4 conference record.
 
Dominguez Hills is an even 3-3 playing on its home floor, The Torodome in Carson.
 
Like Cal State LA, the Toros have little trouble putting the ball in the basket. Dominguez Hills boasts the top-scoring offense in the CCAA, averaging 76.2 points a game. The Toros have scuffled on the defensive end, however, surrendering 72.7 points a contest.
 
Dominguez Hills has three players scoring in double digits. Freshman guard Ariana Harper leads the Toros, averaging 11.4 points a game, followed by junior guard Janelle Sumilong (10.7 ppg) and senior forward Destinee Williams (10.5 ppg). Williams averages 7.1 rebounds a game, while senior center Ahlisha Henderson averages 9.6 points and 8.8 rebounds a contest.
 
The 'Cats and Toros split their two regular season clashes in the 2018–19 season. Dominguez Hills has won the last four games against Chico State at The Torodome, but the Wildcats lead the all-time series 40-18.