The Chico State women's basketball team played a spirited first half Saturday against one of the top teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), going into the locker room at halftime with a one-point lead on Cal State San Marcos. But the visiting Cougars rallied to take the lead in the third quarter, then outscored the Wildcats 21-13 in the final period to come away with a 69-57 victory at Acker Gym.
Chico State suffered its second straight loss and fifth in the last seven games to slip to 12-10 on the season and into eighth place in the CCAA standings with an 8-8 conference mark. Cal State San Marcos, in second place in the CCAA, won its fourth straight contest to improve to 18-4 overall and 13-4 in conference play.
Shay Stark was the lone Wildcat to score in double figures Saturday, tallying 13 points to go along with nine rebounds. Myli Martinez and Brynn Thoming each had eight points for the 'Cats, with Haley Ison and Mikaila Wegenke combining to contribute 14 points and 15 rebounds.
In a low-scoring first quarter, Chico State used two Hannah Washington buckets and a 3-pointer by Ison to grab an early 7-5 lead. A 9-0 San Marcos run put the Cougars up 14-7, but the Wildcats ended the quarter with Wegenke dropping in a fast break layup, Martinez sinking a free throw, and Stark hitting a jumper with four seconds left to whittle the San Marcos lead to 14-12.
The Cougars pushed their advantage to nine midway through the second quarter, only to see Chico State roar back with a 12-2 run—layups by Wegenke and Maddy Wong were bookended by 3-pointers by Stark and Martinez to pull the Wildcats to within one, and with time running out in the period, Stark delivered a layup that gave the 'Cats a 31-30 halftime lead.
San Marcos took control of the contest early in the third quarter, as a 13-2 run put the Cougars back in front 43-33. Chico State came clawing back, cutting the deficit to one on the strength of a Martinez trey and baskets from Wegenke, Thoming, and Bailey Jones. The Cougars would convert a three-point play to end the period with a 48-44 lead.
San Marcos slowly extended their advantage in the fourth quarter, building a 14-point lead with 2:02 left to play. Down 65-51, Chico State made one last charge, with back-to-back buckets by Ison and Stark bringing the Wildcats to within 10. That would be as close as the 'Cats would get, though, as the Cougars hit four free throws down the stretch and ran out the clock to post the 69-57 victory.
Chico State takes to the road next week, traveling to Southern California to take on Cal Poly Pomona Thursday and Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
