On paper, San Francisco State—in the midst of a 10-game losing streak—was not expected to give the Chico State women's basketball team a huge challenge Thursday at Acker Gym. On the hardwood, though, it was a totally different story, as the Gators gave the host Wildcats all they could handle. The 'Cats, though, eventually came out on top, overcoming a halftime deficit by outscoring San Francisco State 40-31 over the final two quarters to register a 69-62 victory.
With the win, Chico State snapped its brief two-game losing streak to improve to 17-8 on the season and 13-6 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The Wildcats, sitting in fourth place in the conference standings and assured of a berth in the upcoming CCAA tournament, also picked up a game on third place Cal State LA, which lost Thursday to Cal State East Bay.
Four Wildcats posted double-digit scoring performances Thursday, led by Zhane Duckett's 17 points. Myli Martinez connected on three 3-pointers and finished with 16 on the night, while Haley Ison and Jordan Morris each posted a double-double—Ison racked up 11 points and 12 rebounds, with Morris collecting 10 points and 10 boards.
San Francisco State led for the majority of the first quarter, and with two minutes left in the period held a 15-10 advantage. Ison single-handedly brought Chico State to within a point with a pair of field goals to close out the period, reducing the Gators' lead to 15-14 heading into the second quarter.
The Wildcats briefly grabbed the lead early in the second quarter on buckets by Duckett and Morgan Mathis, but the entire period was a tightly-played affair, with six tie scores before San Francisco State scored the last basket of the quarter to put the Gators in front 31-29 at intermission.
The 'Cats' offense began to heat up early in the third quarter. Three field goals by Morris and 3-pointers by Martinez and Huffhines highlighted a 16-7 Wildcats run that vaulted Chico State on top 45-38. The 'Cats pushed the advantage to nine, only to see San Francisco State end the period with six unanswered points, and Chico State had to be content with a 49-46 lead heading into the game's final 10-minute stanza.
The Gators kept the pressure on in the fourth quarter. Following a Bailey Jones basket, San Francisco State used a 7-0 run to jump back on top 53-51 with 8:41 remaining. Chico State responded by scoring 13 straight points—Martinez drained a pair of 3-balls while Morris and Ison dropped in buckets—to give the Wildcats a sizeable 64-53 lead with four minutes to go. The Gators kept battling, closing to within five, but Huffhines delivered a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left to effectively seal the deal, and the Wildcats went on to win by a final of 69-62.
Chico State plays its final home game of the regular season Saturday, when it takes on the Otters of Cal State Monterey Bay (6-18, 2-17 CCAA). Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. It is also Senior Night at Acker Gym, and proceeding the game a special ceremony will be held to honor outgoing Wildcat seniors Jordan Morris, Bailey Jones, Haley Ison, and Myli Martinez.
