Chico State Athletics

CHICO – Natasha Smith led three Wildcats in double figures with 21 points, and for the second straight game the Chico State women’s basketball team turned in a solid defensive effort, as the ’Cats cruised to a 71-44 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay Friday night at Acker Gym. The win moved Chico State into a three-way tie for fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference standings.

The Wildcats, now 10-7 overall and 7-5 in the CCAA, won for the sixth time in eight home games this season, and with Friday’s win completed a series sweep of the visiting Otters. With the loss, Cal State Monterey Bay slipped to 11-5 on the year and 7-5 in conference play.

Chico State led pretty much the entire way – after spotting Monterey Bay a 3-2 lead in the game’s opening minute, the Wildcat offense got untracked and went on a 12-4 run to go up 14-7. The ’Cats featured a balanced scoring attack – Pauline Ferrall, Christine Vest and Synchro Bull all contributed buckets during the run, with Smith adding an exclamation point with the first of her three 3-pointers on the night. The Otters scored five unanswered points to pull to within two, but baskets by Ferrall, Molly Collins and Annelise Miller plus a 3-point play by Smith extended Chico State’s lead back to nine. Monterey Bay shaved the deficit to five with 4:50 left in the half, but with the score 25-20, the Wildcat defense put the clamps on the Otters shooters, while Chico State scored 13 of the next 14 points to go up 37-21 – Melissa Richardson leading the way with a pair of 3-point buckets. The Wildcats took a 37-23 lead into the locker room at halftime.

In the second half, the Chico State defense made Monterey Bay work for every shot, and the Wildcats were never seriously threatened. The Otters were able to creep back to within 14, but with the score 42-28, the Wildcat offense put the contest away with a 23-11 run – Smith nailed two more 3-pointers, Richardson drilled a trey and Miller, Kristin Marquardt, Taylor Lydon and Molly Collins all contributed baskets as the ’Cats went up 65-39. The Chico State defense continued to force the Otters into several low-percentage shots, and as a result, Monterey Bay could score only five points in the final eight minutes, and the Wildcats rolled to the 71-44 win.   

Smith added seven rebounds, four assists and four steals to her game-high 21-point performance; Ferrall posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Richardson finished with 11 points for the victorious Wildcats. Helen Suarez was the lone Otter scoring in double figures Friday, putting up 15 points and hitting two 3-pointers. Monterey Bay, which entered the night leading the CCAA in 3-point field goals, could only connect on four of 24 shots from behind the arc against the pressuring Wildcat defense.

BOX SCORE

Chico State is back in action Saturday, as they host San Francisco State. The Gators (8-12 on the season, 4-8 in the CCAA) come into Acker Gym on the heels of a 53-48 loss to Cal State Stanislaus Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.; Mike Baca will provide the play-by-play live on ESPN 101.7 FM locally and on the Internet via the Wildcat Athletic website.