SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - In an intense Thursday night showdown in the City by the Bay, the Chico State women's basketball team secured a crucial 74-69 victory over San Francisco State to claim a spot to the CCAA Championship for the fourth straight season.
Tied at 69 with less than 30 seconds in the game, Meadow Aragon moved the ball around in the paint until she found an open Jadence Clifton at the top of the key and the fellow senior's shot from 3-point range was made to put the Wildcats ahead.
SF State's Alexsandra Alvarado tried to tie the game with a 3-pointer herself but was missed and bounced out of play, giving Chico State the possession. Aragon went on to make a pair of free throws to pad the lead with five seconds left.
The win improves Chico State to 18-5 overall and 13-4 in the CCAA. The Wildcats knew going into The Swamp tonight that a win would put seventh-place SF State (9-13, 7-10 CCAA) out of their reach in the standings. Chico State now has a six-game lead over SF State with five games left on the schedule. The Wildcats also keep pace with second-place Cal Poly Pomona, which held off a gritty Sonoma State to keep a one-game lead over third-place Chico State.
As Chico State continues playing the remainder of the schedule, it can now make travel arrangements for the CCAA Championships, which will be held March 6-8 inside The Sports Center on the campus of Cal State San Marcos.
The Wildcats displayed a robust start in the first period, gaining an early lead with Aragon's layup. The Chico State team continued to dominate the first half with crucial three-pointers and impressive defensive plays, closing the half with a five-point lead, 43-38. Chico State's strategy of fast transitions and effective scoring kept them ahead in the third period, maintaining their lead throughout. The Wildcats' starting five of Aragon, Clifton, Jordan Allred, Makenzi Laporte and Ciarah Michalik once again displayed their endurance by playing the entire fourth quarter. The final period saw the game tied five times. It also saw five lead changes throughout the final 10 minutes.
Aragon finished the night with 23 points and eight rebounds. She was well-supported by Allred, who added 16 points and seven assists, and Clifton, contributing crucial plays with 11 points and three steals. Laporte also made significant contributions with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Wildcats will head to the other side of the San Mateo Bridge to play Cal State East Bay on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The Pioneers are coming off a 66-60 loss to Cal Poly Humboldt tonight. In their last meeting back in December, Chico State walloped East Bay 100-49 in Acker Gym.
