You could feel the adrenaline pumping in Acker Gym Saturday afternoon when the Chico State women's basketball team prepared to step on the floor for the first time in 19 months for a closed-door exhibition game against Oregon Tech. And while the impressive results won't be reflected in the regular season standings, the energy the Wildcats displayed on the court made it feel like a conference championship was at stake, as the 'Cats posted a 58-49 victory over the Lady Owls.
 
Junior guard Bailey Jones and freshman guard Charity Gallegos were the two high scorers for Chico State, which played its first game at Acker Gym since February March 3, 2020. Jones drained three of her four 3-point attempts and finished with 11 points in just over 16 minutes of action, while Gallegos—wearing a Wildcat uni for the first time in her college career—tallied 10 points while doling out six assists and grabbing three steals.
 
New Wildcat forward Makenzi Laporte contributed nine points and six rebounds, with another new forward, Jordan Morris, scoring six points and hauling in a team-high seven rebounds for the victorious 'Cats.
 
The Chico State offense was slow to get untracked, trailing 6-1 midway through the first quarter. Morris finally provided the Wildcats with their first bucket, and Jones later knocked down a pair of treys to pull the 'Cats even at 10-all at the end of the period.
 
Chico State took its first lead of the afternoon two minutes into the second quarter, as a layup by Toni Coleman put the Wildcats up 14-13. It was the start of a 17-5 run to finish out the period—Laporte, Myli Martinez and Morgan Mathis each nailing 3-pointers during the stretch—giving the 'Cats a 29-18 halftime lead.
 
The Wildcats sputtered a bit in the third quarter, as Oregon Tech held Chico State to just a pair of field goals. The Lady Owls pulled to within one at 33-32, but free throws by Martinez and Haley Ison kept the 'Cats on top, with Chico State taking a 36-34 advantage into the final 10-minute stanza.
 
Oregon Tech tied the game at 36-all early in the fourth quarter, but Gallegos answered quickly with two free throws to put the Wildcats ahead to stay. Chico State then pulled away by hitting eight of its final 16 shots, with Mathis, Jones, and Laporte all connecting from downtown to help the 'Cats build a sizeable 58-45 advantage. The Wildcats' defense defused any thoughts of an Oregon Tech comeback by allowing just four points over the final two minutes of play, as Chico State wrapped up the 58-49 exhibition victory.
 
Chico State plays one more exhibition game before the start of the regular season. The Wildcats travel to San Francisco next Saturday to take on the Division I University of San Francisco Dons. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at War Memorial Arena.