CARSON—With hopes of snapping a month-long losing streak, the Chico State women's basketball team was rolling Saturday against Cal State Dominguez Hills, building a 10-point lead with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. The host Toros, however, had no intention of losing on their Senior Night, and rallied to outscore the Wildcats 45-25 the rest of the way to post an 86-76 overtime victory, handing the 'Cats their sixth straight loss and seventh in the last eight games.  
 
Saturday's setback dropped Chico State to 12-11 on the season and into a tie for sixth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The Wildcats remain in the mix for a CCAA Tournament berth, but find themselves just a game ahead of Sonoma State and San Francisco State—tied for ninth in the conference standings—with two games remaining. The top eight teams in the CCAA after next week's regular season-ending contests will advance to postseason play.
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills improved to 13-13 overall and moved into a tie with Chico State for sixth place in the CCAA with a 9-11 conference mark.
 
Madison Wong matched her single-game career high of five 3-pointers on the way to an 18-point night Saturday, while Natalie Valenzuela scored 15 points and set a new personal single-game best with five blocks. McKena Barker recorded her ninth double-double of the season and 21st of her Chico State career with 14 points and 11 rebounds, as well as doling out a team-high five assists. Shay Stark tallied 10 points for the 'Cats in the losing effort.
 
A Wong 3-pointer and a layup by Barker gave Chico State an early first quarter lead, only to see Cal State Dominguez Hills score 13 of the next 18 points to jump in front 16-10. The Wildcats closed out the period on an 11-2 run, with most of the offensive coming from their reserves—Myli Martinez buried a pair of 3-pointers, and Hannah Washington added a layup and free throw—and took a 21-18 lead into the second quarter.
 
Layups by Washington, Martinez, and Stark pushed the 'Cats' advantage to 28-22 in the second period, but the Toros responded with five unanswered points to pull to within one. Chico State ripped off a quick 6-0 run—Wong draining a 3-pointer and a layup—to put the Wildcats up 34-27. Dominguez Hills once again crept to within a point, but another Wong 3-pointer gave the 'Cats a little breathing room, and Chico State went into the locker room with a 39-35 lead.
 
Wong's fourth 3-pointer of the contest set the tone in the third quarter, and baskets by Barker, Washington, and Valenzuela helped Chico State establish a 51-41 lead. The Wildcats' offense then fell silent for the final three minutes of the period, and a 10-0 Dominguez Hills run tied the game at 51-all entering the final 10-minute stanza.
 
Two layups by Stark and another by Valenzuela gave the 'Cats a 57-53 lead to begin the fourth quarter, but the Toros scored 10 of the next 12 points to go up 63-59 with 3:58 to play. Chico State roared back into the lead on the strength of a Barker layup and a Vanessa Holland 3-pointer, and after Dominguez Hills answered with a trey, a 3-pointer by Wong and a Valenzuela layup put the Wildcats up 69-66 with two minutes left.
 
Chico State held on to that three-point advantage until the Toros' Zhane Carter knocked down a trey with 51 seconds remaining to tie the score. The Wildcats had two chances to win the game in regulation, but Valenzuela missed two free throws and a jumper by Stark was off the mark as the horn sounded, sending the game into overtime at 69-69.
 
Valenzuela converted a pair of layups early in the extra five-minute period, but the Wildcats' offense would again fall silent, with no made field goals for the remaining 3:51 of overtime. With the score tied at 73-all, the Toros used a 7-0 run to pull away, and with free throws by Barker and Valenzuela the only resistance the 'Cats could muster, Dominguez Hills cemented the contest with six free throws down the stretch to lock down the 86-76 victory.
 
Chico State returns home next week for their final two games of the regular season. The Wildcats will host San Francisco State on Thursday, with Sonoma State visiting Acker Gym for Senior Night on Saturday. Both games will tip off at 5:30 p.m.