The taste of victory always seems sweeter when it happens during the first game of the season, and 11 times during Head Coach Brian Fogel's 14 years at the helm, the Chico State women's basketball team has succeeded in notching that all-important season-opening "W." The 'Cats opened the 2021–22 campaign in exciting, up-tempo fashion Friday at Acker Gym, downing Fresno Pacific 66-57 in first day action in the CCAA-PacWest Challenge.
 
Chico State came roaring out of the gates against the visiting Sunbirds, scoring 24 of the game's first 29 points. Fresno Pacific battled throughout the evening, at one point cutting the deficit to six, but the Wildcats' fast-paced offense and swarming defense made it difficult for the Sunbirds to mount any type of prolonged rally. As a result, Fresno Pacific shot just 28.8 percent from the field, while the 'Cats shot an impressive 45.8 percent on the evening.
 
Charity Gallegos made her official Chico State debut a memorable one, scoring a game-high 18 points while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out six assists. Bailey Jones buried a pair of 3-pointers to finish with 10 points, while Jordan Morris contributed eight points and hauled in a half-dozen boards for the victorious 'Cats.
 
The first quarter featured total domination by the Wildcats. Haley Ison set the tone with a jumper 30 seconds into the contest, and while Fresno Pacific could connect on only one field goal in the first nine-and-a-half minutes of the period, Chico State built a 24-5 lead on the strength of 3-pointers by Ison, Jones, and India Starr. By the time the quarter ended, the 'Cats still enjoyed a sizeable 24-7 advantage.
 
The Wildcats' offense sputtered in the second period, as Chico State went the first four-and-a-half minutes without a bucket and saw its lead whittled to nine. Gallegos ended the drought by nailing a short jumper, then drained a trey to put the Wildcats back up by 14 at 29-15. Fresno State continued to chip away at the deficit, and despite late field goals by Myli Martinez and Stella Rollo, the 'Cats had to be content with a 35-26 halftime lead.
 
The third quarter saw Chico State's offense start out slow, allowing the Sunbirds to creep to within 39-33 midway through the period. The Wildcats finally caught fire, with baskets by Martinez, Starr, Jones, Morris, and Ison highlighting a 10-0 run to put Chico State up 49-33. A late 3-pointer by the Sunbirds made it a 51-39 contest heading into the final 10-minute stanza.
 
A 3-pointer by Gallegos and a bucket by Starr kept the Wildcats' lead in double digits through the midway point of the fourth quarter, but Fresno Pacific outscored Chico State 9-4 over the next three minutes to make it a 60-53 contest. That would as close as the Sunbirds would get the rest of the way, as Gallegos hit four clutch free throws down the stretch and Morris converted a layup in the final minute to stave off Fresno Pacific's comeback bid and give the Wildcats the season-opening 66-57 victory.
 
In Friday's opening game of the CCAA-PacWest Challenge, Dominican University outscored Sonoma State 25-8 in the fourth quarter to cruise to a 72-55 win over the Seawolves.
 
The two-day CCAA-PacWest Challenge wraps up Saturday afternoon with a pair of contests. At 1 p.m., Fresno Pacific will square off against Sonoma State, followed by Chico State taking on Dominican at 3 p.m.
 
Tickets are available at the Acker Gym box office beginning one hour before tipoff. Those planning on attending either Friday or Saturday's games need to be aware of and follow the Chico State Athletics health and safety protocols for indoor events.
 
Fans unable to attend in person can follow the action locally on KPAY Sports 1290-AM Radio, with the broadcast also accessible on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletics website. Live Stats and live streaming video are also available online, with links located on the Chico State women's basketball schedule page and home page calendar on the Wildcat Athletics website, at chicowildcats.com.