It took leaving the friendly confines of Acker Gym for the Chico State women's basketball team to get a winning streak started, and this week the Wildcats are hoping the back end of their current four-game road swing is as successful as the trip's first two contests. Thursday at 5:30 p.m., the 'Cats will be in Arcata to take on Cal Poly Humboldt, followed by a 1 p.m. Saturday matinee in Rohnert Park against Sonoma State.
Fans planning on attending the Cal Poly Humboldt game in person are asked to be familiar with the COVID-19 protocols and spectator policies on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus.
CAL POLY HUMBOLDT SPECTATOR POLICIES
Sonoma State is enforcing a no spectators policy for the game, so fans will not be permitted to attend in person.
Both games will broadcast live locally on AM-1290 KPAY and available online. Fans can also follow on the Internet via live stats. Live video broadcasts of the games are available for purchase on the CCAA Network. For $9.95 per month, fans can access every Chico State game—home and away—along with all live and archived CCAA matchups. Anyone having difficulty signing up for the CCAA Network can submit a support ticket here:
https://www.blueframetech.com/help.
Links to streaming video, audio and live stats are available at
www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section of the website's the homepage, and on the women's basketball schedule page.
Thanks to back-to-back road wins last week against San Francisco State and Cal State Monterey Bay, Chico State improved to 7-6 on the season and jumped from a share of 10th place into a tie for fifth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings with a 4-4 conference record. The victories not only put the Wildcats back in the mix for one of the CCAA's six postseason tournament berths, but with six home games in their final eight contests, the 'Cats are in prime in position to end the 2021–22 regular season with a flourish.
Of more immediate importance to Chico State is avenging a tough 105-96 triple-overtime loss to Cal Poly Humboldt December 18 at Acker Gym. The Wildcats have yet to play Sonoma State this season; their scheduled December 11 contest was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
The 'Cats are an even 4-4 on the road this season, but have won their last three decisions away from Acker Gym.
Chico State enters the week third among the 12 CCAA teams in scoring, averaging just under 69 points a game. Defensively, the Wildcats are ranked seventh in the conference, giving up 64.8 points a contest.
The 'Cats have connected on 107 3-pointers on the season (second-most in the conference) and lead the CCAA with an average of 8.2 treys per game.
Individually, Charity Gallegos leads the Wildcats (and is 11th in the CCAA) in scoring, averaging 13.0 points a game, with Bailey Jones and Myli Martinez averaging 11.8 and 10.5 points per game, respectively. Jones has connected for a team-high 34 treys, ranking third in the CCAA in 3-pointers per game (2.6). Martinez is second in the conference in free throw percentage (84.6 percent), while Makenzi Laporte (averaging 7.4 points a game) is eighth in the CCAA in rebounding, pulling down 7.1 boards a contest.
Cal Poly Humboldt has fallen on hard times since that December 18 win over the Wildcats. The Lumberjacks, 4-9 overall, have lost five straight decisions and have seen three other games cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols. Last week the 'Jacks lost on the road by double digits to both Cal State East Bay (76-55) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (70-60). As a result, Humboldt sits in 10th place in the CCAA with a 3-6 conference record.
Offensively, Cal Poly Humboldt is sixth in the CCAA, averaging 62.6 points a game. On defense, the Lumberjacks rank 10th in the conference, surrendering 65.9 points a contest.
Cal Poly Humboldt is 3-2 on their home floor, Lumberjack Arena, so far this season.
The Lumberjacks boast two of the top scorers and rebounders in the CCAA. Freshman forward Madison Parry is fourth in the conference in scoring (15.2 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (8.2 boards a contest), with junior guard Julia Iman averaging 14.9 points (fifth in the CCAA) and 9.4 rebounds (second in the conference) per game. Freshman guard Kaz Parks is Humboldt's top 3-point shooter with 31 treys on the season.
In the all-time series between the two teams, Chico State holds a 72-29 advantage. The Wildcats have won 16 of the last 21 matchups with the 'Jacks dating back to the 2002–03 season.
Sonoma State, which takes on the Wildcats Saturday, is 6-10 on the season and tied for fifth place with Chico State in the CCAA with a 5-5 conference mark. The Seawolves dropped both ends of a tough road trip last week, falling to Cal State Dominguez Hills 53-45 and nationally-ranked Cal State East Bay 68-58.
Sonoma State has proven tough to beat this season on its home floor this season, winning five of seven games at the Wolves' Den in Rohnert Park.
Sonoma State is one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the CCAA, averaging just 56.9 points a game, but the Seawolves make up for it on the defensive end—Sonoma ranks third in the conference, allowing just 59.8 points a contest.
Senior forward Zane Sheckherd leads Sonoma State in both scoring (9.9 points a game) and rebounding (5.9 boards a contest), with junior forward Amanda Luckett contributing 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds a game. Junior guard Taylor Johnson is the Seawolves' top 3-point shooter with 22 treys on the season.
Chico State has won the last four meetings with Sonoma State, and in the all-time series the Wildcats hold a hefty 69-21 advantage.
