The Chico State women's basketball team doesn't shy away from penetrating and driving to the hoop, but make no mistake—the Wildcats really enjoy chuckin' it from the cheap seats. The 'Cats knocked down no less than 14 3-pointers against Cal State San Bernardino Saturday night at Acker Gym, and their long-distance prowess combined with a solid defensive effort resulted in a convincing 71-53 victory over the visiting Coyotes.
 
The Wildcats are getting hot at just the right time. Saturday's win is Chico State's third in a row and fifth in the last six games, moving the 'Cats to 10-7 on the season, and more importantly, into sole possession of third place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 7-5 conference record. Cal State San Bernardino fell to 7-13 overall and 4-10 in CCAA play.
 
Freshman shooting guard Morgan Mathis enjoyed a huge night for the Wildcats, coming off the bench to rail six 3-pointers and finish with a career-high 20 points. Three other 'Cats joined Morris scoring in double figures: Charity Gallegos tallied 13 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists, while India Starr and Makenzi Laporte contributed 10 points apiece. Jordan Morris led the 'Cats with eight rebounds on the evening.
 
Cal State San Bernardino opened the scoring with a pair of free throws in the first minute of play—and then didn't score for the rest of the quarter, missing all 14 of its field goal attempts. Meanwhile, Chico State finished the period on a 19-0 run, with Mathis draining a trio of 3-pointers and Gallegos twice dialing up long distance.
 
The Wildcats took a 17-point lead into the second quarter, and though the Coyotes twice cut the deficit to 11, Chico State continued to shine offensively, and with Haley Ison delivering a pair of 3-pointers and Starr hitting another trey, the 'Cats maintained their double-digit advantage, taking a 34-21 lead into halftime.
 
Thanks to baskets by Laporte, Gallegos, Starr, and Ison, four Laporte free throws, and 3-point buckets by Mathis and Starr, Chico State slowly pulled away from San Bernardino in the third quarter, pushing its lead to 24 at 55-31. After the Coyotes converted a late free throw, Mathis finished the period with a flourish, burying another trey to extend Chico State's advantage to 58-32.
 
Mikaela Bismillah got in the act by hitting a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, and Mathis railed another trey to effectively put the game out of reach. Laporte dropped in a layup and Stella Rollo delivered four points down the stretch, as Chico State cruised to the 73-51 win—the Wildcats' largest margin of victory in a game this season since beating Holy Names 97-46 back on November 16.  
 
The Wildcats play the second half of their four-game homestand next week, taking on Cal State Monterey Bay Thursday and San Francisco State on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.