ROHNERT PARK—Things were not looking good for the Chico State women's basketball team Saturday as the third quarter of its game with Sonoma State was winding down. The Wildcats trailed the Seawolves by a whopping 20 points, but Brandy Huffhines led a huge resurgence that saw the 'Cats not only wipe out the entire deficit, but go up one with 2:59 remaining in the contest. The comeback bid fell just short, however, as Sonoma hit the game-winning free throw with 3.1 seconds left to edge the Wildcats 70-69 at the Wolves' Den in Rohnert Park.
Saturday's hard-luck loss dropped Chico State to 6-4 on the season and 3-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Sonoma State won its third straight contest to improve to 5-6 overall and 2-3 in conference play.
Huffhines scored 18 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 22 for the Chico State. Makenzi Laporte nailed a trio of 3-pointers to rack up with 13 points, while Morgan Mathis also hit three 3-pointers to score 11. Myli Martinez was the fourth Wildcat to register double figures in the points column, collecting 10 on the afternoon.
Sonoma State roared out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, and it took over three minutes for Chico State to finally get on the board courtesy of a Huffhines jumper. Layups by Martinez and Zhane Duckett followed to pull the Wildcats to within four, but with the score 14-10, the Seawolves tallied seven of the period's final 10 points to widen their advantage to 21-13.
Haley Ison opened the second period with a pair of free throws, but Sonoma State responded with a 15-4 run to put the Seawolves up 36-19. Martinez and Laporte ended Sonoma's run by each draining a 3-pointer, but the Seawolves were still comfortably on top 39-27 at halftime.
The third quarter started encouragingly for the 'Cats, as Huffhines opened the scoring with a pull-up jumper. Sonoma, though, put together a quick 9-2 run to go back up by 17. Laporte hit a 3-pointer, only to see the Seawolves score the next six points to balloon their lead to 20 at 54-34. Huffhines sparked a 14-4 Chico State run to close out the period, knocking down a pair of jumpers and converting a three-point play to cut Sonoma State's lead in half at 58-48 heading into the fourth quarter.
A Seawolves 3-pointer to start the final 10-minute stanza was answered by an 8-0 Wildcats run—Huffhines hitting another jumper and Mathis burying a pair of 3-pointers—to pull to within 61-56. Sonoma State connected on a trey, but Chico State proceeded to score nine straight points—Mathis and Huffhines bookending the run with 3-pointers—to put the 'Cats in front 65-64 with 2:59 to play. Chico State still possessed a one-point lead when Sonoma's Cielo Gonzalez delivered a three-point play to put the Seawolves back in front with 33 seconds to go.
Huffhines dropped in a layup to tie the score at 69-all with 21 seconds remaining. On Sonoma State's next possession, the Seawolves' Jayme Blackard was fouled with 3.1 seconds on the clock. Blackard hit one of her two free throws, and that would prove to be the difference, as a desperation jumper by Ison to try to win it for the Wildcats fell through just after the final buzzer sounded, and Sonoma State survived to register a heart-stopping 70-69 victory.
Chico State will play its final game before the holiday break on Sunday, December 18, when the Wildcats return to Acker Gym for a non-conference contest against NAIA school Pacific Union. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
