The Chico State women's basketball team has been waiting for over two months for a night when the offense fires on all cylinders. The Wildcats finally got their wish Thursday against Cal Poly Pomona, shooting over 53 percent from the field, hitting 10 3-pointers on the evening, and pouring in 41 second half points to down the visiting Broncos 77-67 at Acker Gym.
The victory—Chico State's second straight and fourth in the last five games—raised the Wildcats' season record to 9-7 while maintaining sole possession of sixth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings with a 6-5 conference mark. Cal Poly Pomona dropped its third straight decision to slip to 5-12 overall and 4-9 in CCAA play.
Four different Wildcats scored in double figures Thursday. Myli Martinez knocked down three 3-pointers and finished on the way to a team-high 14 points, while Charity Gallegos recorded her second double-double of the season with 13 points and a career best-matching 10 assists. Haley Ison connected on his six of her eight field goal attempts to post 12 points, and Morgan Mathis came off the bench to rail a trio of treys to finish with 10 points on the night.
Bailey Jones and Makenzi Laporte chipped in with eight points apiece, while Jordan Morris led the 'Cats in rebounding, pulling down a half-dozen boards.
Things didn't start too encouragingly for the Wildcats, as Pomona roared out to an early 11-2 first quarter lead. The 'Cats answered just as quickly—Ison hit three field goals, and Mathis and India Starr each drained a 3-pointer to spur a 16-8 Chico State run, pulling the Wildcats to within a point at 19-18. A late bucket by the Broncos gave Pomona a 21-18 lead at the end of the period.
The Broncos pushed its advantage to 10 in the second quarter, and were still leading 34-24 when the 'Cats began chipping away at the deficit, and doing most of their damage from long distance—Martinez buried a 3-pointer, and Mathis hit a pair of treys (the second one resulting in a four-point play) to whittle the Pomona advantage to one. The Broncos ended the period by connecting on a free throw, giving the Broncos a 39-36 halftime advantage.
The Wildcats finally pulled even early in the third quarter courtesy of another Martinez 3-pointer, kick-starting a 9-0 Chico State run that gave the 'Cats their first lead of the game at 49-43. Now it was Pomona's turn to play catch-up, and with 2:29 left in the period, they crept to with a point at 51-50. The Wildcats closed out the period with a Jones 3-pointer and a jumper by Starr, leaving Chico State with a 56-52 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Pomona scored the first five points of the final period to briefly re-take the lead, but the 'Cats continued their hot shooting, while on the defensive end held the Broncos to just three field goals the rest of the game. Mikaela Bismillah's 3-pointer quickly put Chico State back in front, and this time it was to stay. Another Martinez 3-pointer, a three-point play by Morris, baskets by Ison and Martinez, and free throws by Jones and Gallegos capped off a 21-5 run to put the game out of reach. Gallegos dropped in a layup with 1:05 left to complete the scoring, and the Wildcats cruised to the 77-67 victory.
Chico State is back in action Saturday, taking on Cal State San Bernardino at Acker Gym. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Fans will be admitted, though the number of spectators in Acker Gym will be capped at 750. Proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test is required.
Attendees age 2 or older are required to show proof of full vaccination (at least two weeks after last dose) or a negative COVID-19 test (via a PCR test within two days or antigen test within one day of the event).
To meet the vaccine requirement, attendees must show their COVID-19 vaccination card, a digital record that includes a QR code, or a digital image along with a photo ID matching the name on the card or screen. Attendees who cannot provide proof of vaccination should bring a photo ID and either a printout or photo of their negative COVID-19 test taken within the 48-hour (PCR tests) or 24-hour (antigen tests) window before the event start time. People ages 17 and under accompanied by an adult will not be required to show a photo ID. No at-home tests will be accepted for entry and self-attestation will not be accepted as a mode of verification.
