CARSON – Facing perhaps the toughest part of a road schedule this season, the Chico State women's basketball team, once again, did most things right, but Cal State Dominguez Hills unusually made critical 3-point baskets as the defending NCAA West Region and CCAA champion Toros outlasted the Wildcats 71-68 in the Torodome Saturday afternoon.
The Wildcats leave Los Angeles being swept this week and fall to 11-6 overall and wrap up the first half of the conference schedule at 7-4. Chico State, coupled with Cal Poly Pomona's win at Cal State Monterey Bay in Seaside, will start the second half sharing second place in the CCAA standings while trailing first-place Cal State San Marcos by three games.
Zhane Duckett, who had an 8-point performance against Cal State LA on Thursday, stepped it up and put 23 against the Toros. Makenzi Laporte had 14 points while Stella Rollo and Jordan Allred had eight.
Four Toros had double figures in scoring with Malia Goldsmith making 18 points.
Chico State hit 40.6 percent of its field goals while Dominguez Hills made 52 percent.
The Wildcats did win the rebound column over the region leading Toros, who also ranked fifth in the nation. Chico State had 37 boards with seven coming from Allred. Dominguez Hills had 32 with Nala Williams grabbing 11 to go along with her 13 points.
Both sides at one point in the game had a double-digit lead. The Toros went on an 11-0 run in the middle of the first quarter while the Wildcats had a 10ppoint lead early into the second half.
The remainder of the second half saw both sides keeping the gap within five. Asia Jordan came up with a clutch basket with 11 seconds left to make it a 5-point Toro lead with 11 seconds left. Stella Rolo made a second-chance layup with two seconds left to make it the 71-68 result.
Chico State begins the second half of the CCAA schedule with a crucial four-game home stand starting with first-place San Marcos Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The Wildcats stunned the Cougars in their last meeting back in December, winning 70-65 at the Sports Center.
