Box Score TURLOCK—Knowing that it needed a win to keep the 2022–23 season alive, the Chico State women's basketball team pulled out all the stops Thursday in its California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament quarterfinal game against Cal Poly Pomona. The Wildcats relied heavily on 3-pointers in its third meeting with the Broncos, and to their credit did hit 11 on the night. The problem, though, was that the 'Cats made only seven field goals from inside the arc, and the end result matched those of the first two matchups—namely, a Pomona victory. The Broncos eliminated the Wildcats from the conference tournament, and with it any chance for an NCAA Championship Tournament berth, with a 67-59 win at Fitzpatrick Arena in Turlock.
With Thursday's loss, Chico State's season comes to an end with an overall record of 18-11, while Cal Poly Pomona moved to 18-9 on the season and advances to the CCAA Tournament semifinals, where the Broncos will face the tourney's No. 1 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday night.
Zhane Duckett was the Wildcats' leading scorer Thursday, hitting three 3-pointers to match her season high of 19 points, while also contributing eight rebounds. In her final game as a Wildcat, Myli Martinez hit four treys to finish with 12 points to go along with four assists. Brandy Huffhines connected on a trio of treys and scored 11 points, while another Chico State senior Haley Ison tallied nine points. Jordan Morris, playing her final game as a 'Cat, scored only two points but hauled in a team-high 10 rebounds on the night.
Chico State was chuckin' it from the cheap seats from the opening tip. Ison opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and treys by Huffhines and Martinez gave the Wildcats an early 9-4 lead. Another Huffhines 3-pointer made the score 14-8, but a 9-2 Pomona run put the Broncos in front 17-16. The 'Cats jumped back on top thanks to a Duckett 3-pointer, and the first quarter ended with Chico State owning a slim 20-19 lead.
As hot as the Wildcats shot in the opening period, they were ice-cold in the second quarter, missing 12 of their 13 shots. Pomona took advantage by grabbing the lead, but thanks to some outstanding defense and productive free throw shooting, Chico State didn't fall too far behind. In fact, the 'Cats' lone field goal—a 3-pointer by Martinez with 2:57 left in the period—tied the game at 29-all. The Broncos pulled back in front with a late field goal, and took a 31-29 lead into the locker room at halftime.
A 7-0 run by Pomona to start the third quarter put the Broncos up 38-29. The Wildcats finally regained their shooting touch, and thanks to a pair of Duckett 3-pointers and a Morris jumper, Chico State closed to within three at 43-40. Duckett kept the 'Cats' offense grinding with three layups as the period wound down, but Chico State couldn't make up any additional ground, and the Broncos headed into the fourth quarter with a 51-48 lead.
Martinez hit a 3-pointer early in the final period to bring Chico State to within 53-51, but Pomona responded with six unanswered points to extend its advantage to eight. With the game starting to slip away, the Wildcats tried to rally—Huffhines buried a 3-pointer with 5:26 remaining, but Chico State could only convert one 3-pointer and a pair of free throws the rest of the way. The Broncos slowly built their lead to double digits, and ran out the clock to secure the 67-59 win and end Chico State's 2022–23 season.
Despite losing departing seniors Bailey Jones, Haley Ison, Myli Martinez and Jordan Morris, the future is bright for the Wildcats. Zhane Duckett and Brandy Huffhines will both be back for their senior seasons in 2023–24, along with key players Makenzi Laporte and Morgan Mathis. Add in the talents of returners Jazmyne Lillie, Stella Rollo, Sophia Williams, and Jiana Creswell, plus some potentially potent recruits, and Chico State is a safe bet to once again be among one of the CCAA's best next season.
