For the first 20 minutes of Thursday evening's Chico State-Cal State Dominguez Hills women's basketball game, the play was so even that it was actually hard to tell which team went into the contest undefeated. In the second half, though, the visiting Toros left no doubt as to why they are the No. 20 team in the nation, outscoring the Wildcats 38-17 in the second half on the way to a 72-50 victory at Acker Gym.
 
Thursday's loss snapped a modest two-game Wildcat winning streak, dropping Chico State to 8-5 on the season and into a three-way tie for fourth place in the CCAA with a 4-3 conference mark. Cal State Dominguez Hills raised its record to 13-0 overall and stays tied with Cal State San Marcos atop the CCAA standings with a 7-0 conference record.
 
Brandy Huffhines turned in an outstanding performance, leading the Wildcats with 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Myli Martinez hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 10 points, with Zhane Duckett and Haley Ison contributing nine and eight points, respectively.
 
Nala Williams of Cal State Dominguez Hills led all scorers with 21 points on the evening.
 
Chico State briefly led in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but Dominguez Hills soon fashioned a 14-5 run to go out in front 18-10. Before the end of the period, the Wildcats whittled deficit down to four thanks to baskets by Ison and Duckett, plus two Duckett free throws, leaving the Toros with a slim 20-16 advantage heading into the second quarter.
 
The 'Cats carried the momentum into the second period, with 3-pointers by Martinez, Huffhines, and Bailey Jones highlighting a 13-2 run that put Chico State on top 29-22. The Wildcats maintained the lead until Dominguez Hills scored the final five points of the quarter to go up 34-33 at halftime.
 
With Chico State making just three field goals and shooting 23 percent from the field in the third quarter, the Toros took control of the contest. Things started encouragingly for the 'Cats, though, as a jumper by Ison put the Wildcats in front, and another 3-ball by Huffhines gave Chico State a 38-36 lead. The Dominguez Hills offense then took over, scoring 18 unanswered points over a six minute span that vaulted the Toros to a 54-38 advantage. The 'Cats finished the period with a Huffhines layup and a Makenzi Laporte free throw, but heading into the fourth quarter Dominguez Hills held a healthy 56-41 lead.
 
It didn't get any better for the Wildcats in the final period, hitting just three of 11 shots. As a result, Chico State could get no closer than 15 points, and the Toros slowly extended their lead to as many as 23 points, eventually rolling to a 72-50 victory.  
 
Chico State is back in action Saturday afternoon, when the Wildcats host the Pioneers of Cal State East Bay (6-5, 3-4 CCAA) at Acker Gym. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.