After enjoying a generous slate of home games that stretches back over a month, the Chico State women's basketball team will hit the road this week for only the second time since December 10. The Wildcats, entering the week in fifth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), travel to Seaside to take on Cal State Monterey Bay Thursday at 5:30 p.m., then roll into the heart of the Bay Area Saturday for a 1 p.m. contest against San Francisco State.
 
Fans can follow the action of both games locally on KPAY Sports 1290-AM, with Mike Baca's broadcast simulcast on the Internet. Live Stats and live streaming video are also available online, with links located on the Wildcat Athletics homepage and the women's basketball schedule page. Accessing the live video stream requires a monthly subscription fee that grants users access to every CCAA event on the network, home and away.
 
Chico State is 10-6 overall, and a 6-4 conference record puts the Wildcats a game behind fourth place Cal Poly Pomona and a game ahead of Sonoma State and Cal State East Bay, which are tied for sixth place in the CCAA. The 'Cats, sporting a 3-2 record away from the friendly confines of Acker Gym, look to post a pair of road wins to stay in the upper tier of the conference standings as they play the Otters and Gators for the first time this season.
 
The Wildcats rank fifth among the 12 CCAA teams in offensive production, averaging 66.1 points a game. Chico State is fourth in team defense, allowing just 60.4 points a contest. The 'Cats are the top 3-point shooting team in the conference, knocking down 122 treys so far on the season.
 
Individually, Brandy Huffhines leads the Wildcats in scoring, averaging 11.2 points a game, and ranks sixth in the CCAA with a team-high 28 3-pointers. Right on her heels are Chico State teammates Myli Martinez (10.2 ppg, tied for seventh in the CCAA with 27 3-pointers and third in the conference with an 88.9 percent free throw percentage), Haley Ison (9.9 ppg, with her 7.3 rebounds a contest tied for seventh-best in the conference), and Zhane Duckett (9.6 ppg, fifth in the CCAA with 55 assists).
 
Cal State Monterey Bay, which hosts the Wildcats Thursday, is 4-11 overall and tied for 11th place in the CCAA with an 0-10 conference record. The Otters are mired in a five-game losing streak and have not visited the winner's circle since December 19. Last week Monterey Bay suffered double-digit road losses at the hands of both Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State East Bay.
 
The Otters are 1-5 this season on their home floor, The Kelp Bed.
 
Monterey Bay is the lowest-scoring team in the CCAA, averaging 57.1 points a game while giving up 64.8 points on the defensive end.
 
Senior guard Lauryn Pointer served as the Otters' top scorer (14.8 points per game) until going down with an injury back in December. Senior guard Mikayla Mabie is averaging 10 points a contest, with sophomore guard Gigi Israel (5.7 ppg) providing the majority of Monterey Bay's outside scoring punch with 24 3-pointers on the season. Sophomore center Sarah Shaw (7.2 ppg) is the Otters' top rebounder, averaging 6.3 boards a contest.
 
Chico State swept the two-game season series in 2021–22 and have won the last 13 head-to-head matchups with the Otters dating back to 2014. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 27-6.
 
San Francisco State, which hosts the Wildcats Saturday following a Thursday night home game against Stanislaus State, is 7-9 on the season and is tied for ninth place in the CCAA with a 3-7 conference record. The Gators, coached by former Chico State great Natasha Smith, have lost three of their last four decisions, including two last week against Cal State East Bay and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
 
Offensively, San Francisco State averages 61.4 points a game while allowing 61.8 points a contest. The Gators rank fourth in the CCAA with 102 3-pointers.
 
Sophomore guard Mya Blake leads the San Francisco State offense, ranking sixth in the CCAA with a 14.8 points per game average, and is fourth in the conference in 3-pointers (39). Sophomore guard/forward Jolene Armendariz (9.6 ppg) has knocked down 31 treys and is fifth in the CCAA in rebounding, averaging 7.7 boards a contest. Senior guard Taimane Lesa-Hardee has hit 21 3-pointers for the Gators and averages 7.4 points a game.
 
Chico State won both meetings with San Francisco State last season, and 10 of the last 11. All-time, the Wildcats hold an 80-24 advantage over the Gators.