Sometimes when things go sideways—and in a quick hurry—all you can do is just grin, put your head down, and grind it out. The Chico State women's basketball team was faced with just such a dilemma Saturday afternoon at Acker Gym, as the Wildcats saw visiting Cal Poly Humboldt drop an eye-popping 36 points in the first quarter. But the 'Cats never panicked, and did some heavy-duty grinding to turn the game around, outscoring the Lumberjacks 63-30 over the final three periods to post an exhilarating 79-66 victory.
The streaking Wildcats have now won seven in a row and upped their record to 16-6 on the season. Chico State improved to 12-4 in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), keeping pace with equally hot Cal State LA for a share of third place in the conference standings. Cal Poly Humboldt slipped to 9-11 overall and 7-9 in CCAA play.
Brandy Huffhines owned the hot shooting hand Saturday for the 'Cats, hitting eight of 11 field goal attempts—including five from beyond the 3-point arc—to finish with a season (and Chico State career high) 23 points. Bailey Jones knocked down a trio of 3-pointers on the way to a season-high 17 points, while Haley Ison registered 11 points on the afternoon. Jordan Morris contributed eight points and eight rebounds, with Zhane Duckett scoring seven points, hauling in a team-high 12 rebounds, dishing out six assists, and grabbing four steals.
Early on it looked like it was going to be Cal Poly Humboldt's day. The Lumberjacks grabbed a quick 10-point lead in the first quarter, and then with the score 19-13, Humboldt produced a 17-3 run over the final three minutes of the period. Only 10 minutes into the game, and the Wildcats were looking up at a 36-16 deficit.
As hot as Humboldt was in the first quarter, making 12 of 18 field goal attempts, the Lumberjacks were just as cold in the second period, missing 16 of 18 shots and not hitting their first basket until 1:53 left in the quarter. That gave the Wildcats the chance to tighten up the contest, and a 15-0 run—highlighted by 3-pointers by Laporte and Jones and baskets by Laporte, Jones, and Ison—brought Chico State back to within 36-31. Humboldt scored just five points in the period, and took a 41-34 lead into intermission.
The Wildcats kept the pressure on in the third quarter, using two Huffhines 3-pointers and a pair of Morris buckets to finally catch the Lumberjacks at 51-all with two minutes left in the period. After Humboldt briefly retook the lead, two free throws by Duckett and a 3-pointer by Jones gave Chico State a 56-54 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Lumberjacks jumped back on top 58-57 with 7:36 to play, but from there it was all Wildcats. Chico State took total control of the contest with a 20-2 blitzkrieg—Myli Martinez hit a couple of big 3-pointers, Huffhines drained another shot from downtown, and Morris, Ison, Duckett, and Huffhines all connected for buckets. Suddenly it was Humboldt that was looking up at a large 77-60 deficit, and with 2:22 left, the 'Jacks had no chance to mount any sort of comeback, as the 'Cats ran out the clock and cruised to the 79-66 victory.
Chico State heads to Southern California next week for a pair of very important conference road games. Thursday at 5:30 p.m. the Wildcats take on Cal State San Marcos (17-3, 14-2 CCAA), followed by a 1 p.m. Saturday matchup against Cal State LA (15-6, 12-4 CCAA).
