Two games into the 2021–22 season, the Chico State women's basketball team has already displayed several appealing attributes: an exciting, lightning-fast style of play, high percentage shooting, and a tenacious defense. The Wildcats also seem to have a flair for the dramatic, as Haley Ison nailed a turnaround jumper as time expired to beat Dominican University 79-77 Saturday afternoon to conclude the CCAA-PacWest Challenge.
In addition to Ison's buzzer-beating shot deciding the outcome, the crowd at Acker Gym was treated to an entertaining start-to-finish rollercoaster of a contest that featured 12 tie scores and 11 lead changes. The win moved Chico State to 2-0 on the young season, while a very good Dominican team slipped to 1-1.
Ison, who finished with 13 points, was not alone in her Saturday afternoon heroics. She was one of five Wildcats to score in double figures—Charity Gallegos posted a team-high 15 points and added eight assists to the 'Cats' attack; Bailey Jones and Makenzi Laporte tallied 14 points apiece, and Myli Martinez racked up a dozen in the winning effort.
Laporte was also a monster on the boards, hauling in a game-high nine rebounds—six on the offensive end. Jordan Morris added eight boards, with Jones grabbing seven rebounds. Chico State shot a collective 46.9 percent from the field (and over 64 percent in the decisive fourth quarter), while in the all-important free throw category, the 'Cats hit 13-of-14 from the stripe.
The scoring for both teams was fast and furious from the opening tip. Dominican rolled out to a quick 11-5 first quarter lead, and was still up by six when Chico State used baskets by Morris and Mikaela Bismillah to knot up the contest at 17-all. The Penguins went back in front courtesy of a 3-pointer, but Martinez answered with a pair of free throws for the 'Cats at the end of the quarter to make the score 20-19.
Chico State took its first lead of the afternoon early in the second period thanks to a Morris layup, but offensive production was suddenly hard to come by in the quarter for both teams. With 23 seconds left until intermission, the score was knotted up at 30-apiece when Jones buried a 3-pointer to give the Wildcats a 33-30 halftime lead.
Chico State and Dominican combined for 46 points in the third quarter as the lead went back and forth. The 'Cats and the Penguins exchanged baskets for nearly the entire period, with the biggest lead for either team just three points. With the score even at 53-apiece, a fast break 3-pointer with 1:04 left in the quarter put Dominican on top 56-53 heading into the final 10 minute stanza.
Both offenses continued to put up big numbers in the fourth quarter, scoring a combined 47 points. Two Ison free throws and a Matinez layup put the Wildcats back on top, and thanks to baskets by Jones, Gallegos, and Laporte, Chico State were able to stretch its advantage to seven at 71-64 with 3:34 to play. Dominican twice cut the deficit to a single point, but the 'Cats continued to keep the Penguins at bay. Jones hit a pair of clutch free throws with six seconds remaining to give the Wildcats a 77-74 lead, but with 2.4 seconds left, Dominican's Alaiyah San Juan banked in a desperation 3-pointer to tie the game.
It turned out that Chico State had saved its best—and most dramatic—moment for last. After calling a timeout, the Wildcats took the ball out in their front court. A kicked ball by a Dominican defender on the inbounds pass left just 2.1 seconds left in regulation. Laporte hit Ison with a bounce pass; Ison took two dribbles, and just an eyelash before the buzzer sounded and the red light behind the backboard signaled the end of the period, she spun straight in the air and got off a jumper just over the outstretched arms of the Penguins' Errayanna Hatfield.
The shot was true—nothing but net.
Ison was mobbed on the court by her teammates, and the crowd came to their feet with arms raised, knowing that the Wildcats had pulled off the stunning last-second 79-77 victory.
Chico State travels to Oakland Tuesday for the first of six straight road contests. The Wildcats will take on the Hawks of Holy Names at 4 p.m., then finish out next week with a games Friday and Saturday as part of the CCAA-GNAC Challenge in Monmouth, Oregon.
