Midway through the third quarter Thursday, the Chico State women's basketball team was cruising. The Wildcats had opened up a huge 60-31 lead over visiting Cal State LA and appeared primed to post a blowout win. Then the unthinkable happened—the Golden Eagles rallied and wiped out the entire 29-point deficit. The 'Cats were able to recover, though, with two big buckets and two insurance free throws in the final two minutes to prevail 74-70 at Acker Gym.
 
Thursday's win was Chico State's fourth in a row, moving the Wildcats to 5-2 on the season and 2-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Despite a near miraculous comeback, Cal State LA slipped to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
 
Haley Ison led four 'Cats in double figures with 19 points on the night, and her 12 rebounds gave the senior her seventh career double-double. Jordan Morris also registered a double-double (her second as a Wildcat) with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Brandy Huffhines racked up 17 points, with Myli Martinez contributing 15 points and five assists for Chico State. Zhane Duckett also dished out five assists as the Wildcats shot 46.6 percent (27-for-58) from the field.
 
The 'Cats fired out of the gate in the first quarter, using 3-pointers by Martinez and Huffhines plus buckets from Morris, Ison, Martinez, and Laporte to jump out to a quick 16-4 lead. Chico State was able to push the advantage to 15 before Cal State LA closed out the period with a pair of field goals, leaving the Wildcats with a 23-12 lead.
 
Chico State's offense cooled a bit in the second quarter, but the Golden Eagles failed to take advantage. Morris scored six unanswered points to give the 'Cats a 33-15 lead, only to see Cal State LA whittle the deficit back down to 11. A jumper by Ison and a pair of Huffhines free throws in the period's final minute gave the Wildcats a 39-24 lead at intermission.
 
The 'Cats connected on eight of their first 10 shots in the third quarter, with 3-pointers by Ison and Huffhines highlighting an impressive 21-5 run to put Chico State up 60-31. The Golden Eagles refused to give in, employing backcourt pressure and trapping on defense to successfully slow the Wildcats down. Cal State LA then began to heat up offensively, but even though its 19-4 run took a big slice out of the 'Cats' lead, Chico State still headed into the fourth quarter with a comfortable 64-50 advantage.
 
Or so the Wildcats thought. The Golden Eagles continued to apply the defensive pressure, essentially stopping the Chico State offense in its tracks. With 2:49 remaining, Cal State LA completed its massive comeback by pulling even with the 'Cats at 68-all. But in crunch time, the Wildcats managed to pull back in front courtesy of an Ison jumper and a layup by Duckett. With time running out, Martinez hit a pair of free throws to push the 'Cats' lead to six, and though the Golden Eagles connected on a field goal with 13 seconds to play, it wasn't enough to keep Chico State from coming away with the 74-70 victory.
 
The Wildcats are back in action Saturday, hosting 19th-ranked Cal State San Marcos (4-1-0 CCAA) in another important conference matchup. Tipoff at Acker Gym is scheduled for 1 p.m.