Over the last two weeks, the Chico State women's basketball team racked up the miles and piled up the victories, taking care of business to the tune of four straight road victories. This week, the Wildcats get to show the home crowd the inspired play that has vaulted them to the upper tier of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings and into the West Region rankings, when they host Sonoma State Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Cal Poly Humboldt Saturday at 1 p.m.
Fans unable to attend the games in person can follow the action locally on KPAY Sports 1290-AM, with Mike Wessels'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 currently riding a season-best five-game winning streak, resulting in a 14-6 overall record and a share of third place in the CCAA with a 10-4 conference mark. The Wildcats also begin the week ranked No. 8 in the latest D2SIDA West Region poll.
The 'Cats completed a perfect 4-0 road trip with wins last week over Cal State East Bay and previously unbeaten Cal State Dominguez Hills—both victories coming in the game's final seconds.
Chico State is looking to even the season series with Sonoma State, which edged the Wildcats 70-69 in their first meeting December 10 in Rohnert Park. The 'Cats, which beat Cal Poly Humboldt 75-63 on December 8 in Arcata, have a chance Saturday to complete a regular season series sweep of the Lumberjacks.
The Wildcats are 7-4 this season at Acker Gym.
Statistically, Chico State ranks fourth among the 12 CCAA teams in scoring, averaging 67.7 points a game, and also fourth in the conference on the defensive end, allowing just 60.4 points a contest. The Wildcats continue to lead the CCAA in 3-pointers (150), is second in free throw shooting (77.0 percent), and third in assists (270).
The 'Cats feature three double-digit scorers: Brandy Huffhines leads the way with an 11.4 points-per-game average, with Myli Martinez contributing 10.8 points a contest while hitting a team-high 36 3-pointers. Zhane Duckett is averaging 10.2 points a game and ranks second among all CCAA players with 76 assists.
Haley Ison (9.2 ppg) is the 'Cats' top rebounder and is eighth in the CCAA, pulling down an average of 7.0 boards a game.
Sonoma State, which takes on the Wildcats Thursday, is 11-9 overall and sits alone in sixth place in the CCAA with an 8-6 conference record. The Seawolves enjoyed a solid Janauary, winning six of nine decisions, and finished the month on a three-game winning streak, which included lopsided victories last week over Cal State Monterey Bay and San Francisco State.
Sonoma State is 6-7 on the road this season.
The Seawolves average only 61 points a game on the offensive end, but is the stingiest defensive team in the CCAA, surrendering just 58.4 points a contest. Sonoma State ranks second in the conference in blocks (3.40 a game) and third in steals (9.55 per contest).
Sophomore forward Alli McDonald is the Seawolves' top scorer and ranks eighth in the CCAA, averaging 14 points a game. She is also third in the conference in rebounding (8.7 a contest) while leading Sonoma State with 24 3-pointers.
Senior guards Cielo Gonzalez (9.3 ppg) and Taylor Johnson (5.5 ppg) have combined for 39 3-pointers on the season.
In the all-time series between the two teams, the Wildcats hold a 70-32 advantage over the Seawolves.
Cal Poly Humboldt, which takes on the 'Cats Saturday following a Thursday night tilt in Turlock against Stanislaus State, begins the week 8-10 overall and in seventh place in the CCAA with a 6-8 conference record. The Lumberjacks are coming off a productive week with home wins over San Francisco State last Thursday and Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday.
Humboldt has struggled on the road so far this season, dropping seven of 10 decisions away from its home floor, Lumberjack Arena.
The 'Jacks rank in the middle of CCAA pack on both the offensive and defensive ends, averaging 64.3 points a game while giving up 63.6 points a contest. Humboldt likes to fire from long distance, and ranks second in the conference with 137 3-pointers. The Lumberjacks are also third in the CCAA in free throw shooting (72.0 percent).
Sophomore forward Madison Parry averages 16.4 points a game (second in the CCAA) and 8.3 rebounds a contest (fourth among conference players). Junior forward Zyan Smith, sophomore guard Kaz Parks, and junior guard Sara Ahmadpour have combined to average 23.5 points a game while connecting on a collective 78 3-pointers.
All-time, Chico State has won 73 of the 103 meetings with the Lumberjacks.
