SAN MARCOS—The Chico State women's basketball team showed Saturday it was not intimidated by nationally-ranked Cal State San Marcos, as the Wildcats displayed the sort of spark and gritty play that was sorely missing in their Thursday night road loss to Cal State LA. The 'Cats definitely challenged the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)-leading Cougars, but a disastrous third quarter that saw Chico State outscored 21-2 over a seven minute stretch proved too much to overcome, with No. 12 San Marcos winning the afternoon tilt 82-64.
 
Saturday's setback dropped Chico State to 12-9 on the season, and 9-7 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The Wildcats will finish the weekend no worse than fifth place in the conference standings, and with two games remaining in the regular season, Chico State is still in the driver's seat to earn one of the six coveted CCAA Tournament bids. With the win, Cal State San Marcos improved to 19-2 overall and 17-1 in conference play.
 
Charity Gallegos led four Wildcats scoring in double figures Saturday, connecting on three treys and finishing with 15 points. Myli Martinez and Makenzi Laporte each had 11 points, with Laporte snaring six rebounds. Bailey Jones hit a pair of 3-pointers to post 10 points, while Haley Ison contributed eight points and six rebounds on the afternoon.
 
Thanks to a 3-pointer by Gallegos and field goals by Gallegos, Jones, and Laporte, Chico State broke out to an early 12-9 first quarter lead. Cal State San Marcos bounced back by scoring seven of the final nine points of the period—Morgan Mathis providing the lone Wildcats score—and the Cougars took a 16-14 lead into the second period.
 
Jones buried a 3-pointer at the start of the second quarter to put the 'Cats back on top, and Chico State still held a 21-19 lead before San Marcos exploded with a 19-0 run, blasting back in front 38-21. But rather than whither, the Wildcats struck back with 15-4 run of its own—highlighted by two Gallegos 3-pointers and a trey by Laporte—to pull to within 42-36 at halftime.
 
Chico State rode the momentum into the third quarter, using a Jones 3-pointer and pair of Laporte layups to outscore San Marcos 9-3 in the first three minutes of the period to tie the game at 45-all. The Cougars, though, would take control of the contest and dominate the rest of the quarter, putting together the back-breaking 21-2 run. When all the dust had settled, San Marcos owned a sizeable 66-47 lead heading into the final 10-minute stanza.
 
The Wildcats still had some fight in them, and thanks to four Martinez free throws and baskets by Ison and Stella Rollo, Chico State pulled to within a dozen at 69-57 with 4:51 to play. But that would be as close as the 'Cats would get—San Marcos scored 10 unanswered points to extend its advantage to 22 and put the contest out of reach. Ison converted a three-point play and Mikaela Bismillah knocked down a 3-pointer for the Wildcats in the final minute to whittle down the deficit, but the afternoon would belong to the Cougars, winning by a final of 82-64 to sweep the season series.
 
Chico State returns to Acker Gym next week for its final two games of the regular season. The Wildcats host Cal State Dominguez Hills Thursday and Cal State East Bay on Senior Night Saturday. Both games will tip off at 5:30 p.m.