LOS ANGELES, Calif. - In a nail-biting contest at the Eagles' Nest Thursday evening, the Chico State women's basketball team eked out a close victory against the Cal State LA Golden Eagles with a final score of 73-70 in a game that will most certainly be looked at by the NCAA Championship committee.

The win, which moves Chico State to 19-6 overall and 14-5 in the CCAA, got a boost to its NCAA Tournament resumé against a Cal State LA team 'under consideration' following the first announcement of the championship committee's regional poll Wednesday. The Golden Eagles are 15-9 overall and 10-9 in conference play.

Third-place Chico State, already holding a spot to the CCAA Tournament in March, didn't gain or lose ground in the conference standings after Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino picked up respective home wins tonight. The Wildcats remain two games behind the second-place Broncos while holding a two-game lead over the fourth-place Coyotes with three games left on the schedule.

The Wildcats started strong, leading the first period 25-21, propelled by stellar shooting from Makenzi Laporte and clutch plays by Jordan Allred and Jadence Clifton. Laporte led the scoring for Chico State with a career-high 27 points, including multiple 3-pointers that crucially advanced the Wildcats' lead. A significant contribution also came from Clifton, who scored 21 points while Allred scored 14 points. Both of them also led the rebounding column with 11.

Throughout the game, Chico State maintained the lead, except for a dramatic moment in the fourth period when Cal State LA cut down a 12-point deficit to just two with under a minute left in the game. However, the Wildcats held steady with essential free throws from Allred and Clifton in the dying moments, ensuring the victory.

Defensively, Chico State was bolstered by Meadow Aragon, who contributed 6 points, 6 rebounds, and an impressive 4 blocks. Chico State's defense and timely baskets consistently denied the Golden Eagles any chance to overtake the lead.

The Wildcats will challenge No. 2 Cal State Dominguez Hills' perfect record at the Torodome on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Toros put together another second-half dominance as they ran away to an 86-62 win over Cal Poly Humboldt tonight to improve to 26-0. Dominguez Hills Chico State kept it close in their last meeting in Acker Gym a month ago, but the Toros would end up winning the game 78-69.