The Chico State women's basketball team enjoyed an especially productive evening Thursday at Acker Gym, and what made its 84-55 victory over San Francisco State even sweeter was that it was a true team effort. Every one of the Wildcats' 13 players scored in the lopsided win over the Gators, and as a result the 'Cats have closed to within one victory of officially locking up a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament berth.
Chico State notched its third straight victory to improve to 15-10 overall and move into a tie with Sonoma State for fifth place in the CCAA standings with an 11-8 conference record. With three regular season contests remaining, the Wildcats are just one game back of Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State East Bay, who are tied for third place. Humboldt State and Stanislaus State, tied for seventh place, are just a half-game back of the 'Cats in the race for one of the eight CCAA Tournament bids, and a possible first round home game.
Chico State shot 50 percent (34-of-68) from the field against San Francisco State, which dropped its 13th straight decision to slip to 1-22 on the season and 1-19 in CCAA play.
With no Chico State player logging more than 21 minutes of court time, the team scoring was very evenly distributed. Bailey Jones connected for three 3-pointers—the sophomore guard has hit six treys in her last two games—to finish with a team-high 11 points. Maddy Wong and Mikaila Wegenke had nine points apiece, while Shay Stark contributed eight points. Hannah Washington, Myli Martinez, and Brynn Thoming each chipped in with seven points on the night, with Washington pulling down a team-high seven rebounds. Mikaela Bismillah dished out five assists to aid the 'Cats' attack.
The Wildcats took command from the opening tip. A 9-0 run, capped off by Wong's lone 3-pointer of the night, gave Chico State an early 11-2 lead. Before the first quarter was over, the 'Cats had ballooned their advantage to 16, thanks to buckets by Wegenke, Thoming, Stark, and Daisha Abdelkader. The Wildcats finished the period on a 10-1 run to go up 21-5.
It was more of the same in the second quarter, with Vanessa Holland setting the tone with an early 3-pointer that pushed Chico State's lead to 19. Caylee Hermanson followed with a jumper, and Wegenke and Stark each drained a pair of free throws to make it a 30-5 contest, and though San Francisco State fashioned a modest 5-1 run to pull to with 21, the Wildcats wrapped up the second 10-minute stanza on a 12-6 run, highlighted by a Martinez 3-pointer and baskets by Thoming, Wong, and Jasmine Hess, giving Chico State a sizeable 43-16 halftime lead.
The 'Cats led by as many as 40 points in the third quarter on the strength of buckets by Washington, Wong, Martinez, Wegenke, Bismillah, Stark, and a 3-pointer by Jones. The shorthanded Gators continued to battle, but could make up precious little ground as Jones buried another trey and Wegenke converted a three-point play in the final minute of the period to make the score 70-31.
Chico State put the game away five minutes into the fourth quarter, as Jones, Hess, and Hermanson combined for all the Wildcats' points in a 13-5 run, making the score 83-36. To the Gators' credit, they didn't mail in the final five minutes, outscoring the 'Cats 19-1 to bring the deficit under 30. It was much too little and much too late, however, as Chico State ran out the clock and cruised to the 84-55 victory.
Chico State hosts Sonoma State Saturday in the 'Cats' final regular season home game, with the opening tip slated for 5:30 p.m. It's also the second day of the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry drive, so fans attending the game are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to Acker Gym. Saturday is also Senior Night, with the Wildcats celebrating the career of Chico State's all-time leading 3-point shooter Maddy Wong with a special pre-game ceremony.
