The Chico State women's basketball team may still find itself one of the eight schools competing in next week's California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament, but the Wildcats won't know for sure until after Saturday's regular season finale. The 'Cats put themselves in that precarious position Thursday night at Acker Gym by dropping a 78-69 decision to San Francisco State. It was Chico State's seventh straight loss and eighth in its last nine games.
Despite the long losing streak which saw the team go 0-for-February, Chico State is still alive for one of the four remaining CCAA Tournament berths. The 'Cats can go a long way to securing a spot in the postseason with a win Saturday against Sonoma State, with the labyrinth of conference tiebreakers determining whether Chico State could finish as high as fifth place in the final CCAA standings…or miss out altogether.
For now, though, the Wildcats have to figure out a way to get back into the win column. Chico State's seven-game losing streak—four of which coming on its home floor—is the longest the program has experienced in 30 years. The 1989–90 edition of the 'Cats lost eight straight games and five in a row at Acker Gym.
The Wildcats are now 12-12 on the season and 9-12 in the CCAA. Chico State heads into Saturday's final regular season contest one game back of fifth place Cal State East Bay, tied with Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State San Bernardino, and San Francisco State, and just a game ahead of Sonoma State and Stanislaus State, which are tied for 10th in the conference standings.
McKena Barker was the Wildcats' leading scorer Thursday with 19 points, while also grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Natalie Valenzuela added 13 points, with Shay Stark scoring 10 points and hauling in six boards. Myli Martinez came off the bench to contribute nine points to the 'Cats' attack, and Madison Wong, though held to seven points on the night, dished out a career high 12 assists.
The opening quarter was a high-scoring affair, as Chico State and San Francisco State combined for 46 points. Valenzuela, Stark, and Martinez got the Wildcats' offense rolling, and with the score tied at 18-all, the 'Cats finished the period on an 8-2 run—Stark and Martinez each knocking down a 3-pointer—to give Chico State a 26-20 lead after the first 10 minutes of play.
San Francisco State doubled up the Wildcats in the second quarter, outscoring Chico State 22-11 and using a 9-3 run in the final two minutes of the period to grab a 42-37 halftime lead.
The two teams played each other straight up in the third quarter. The 'Cats netted 10 of the first 12 points—highlighted by a Wong 3-pointer—to go up 47-44. San Francisco State responded with a 17-6 run to snatch the lead back and build an eight point advantage, but a Wong free throw and a layup by Vanessa Holland late in the period trimmed Chico State's deficit to 61-56 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats rolled the momentum into the final 10-minute stanza, as a Martinez 3-pointer and buckets by Valenzuela and Barker put Chico State on top 63-61. Now trailing, San Francisco State proceeded to clamp down on defense, holding the 'Cats scoreless for nearly five minutes, and a 10-0 run put the Gators in the driver's seat at 71-63 with 4:36 to play.
Chico State did not wilt in crunch time, using a Stark 3-pointer and a three-point play by Barker to pull to within 71-69 with 1:33 left. But that was as close as the Wildcats would get to pulling off a comeback victory, as the Gators' Taimane Lesa-Hardee drained a back-breaking 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining. San Francisco State then hit four free throws down the stretch to cement the 78-69 win and keep its own postseason hopes alive.
The "season in the balance" Chico State-Sonoma State clash is set to tip off Saturday at 5:30 p.m. It's also Senior Night, so fans are encouraged to get to Acker Gym early for a special pregame ceremony honoring Wildcat seniors Natalie Valenzuela and McKena Barker.
