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All-NCAA West Region selection Smith named Wildcat of the Week
3/16/2010 11:58:20 AM
Before the 2009-10 even got underway, Chico State women’s basketball Head Coach Brian Fogel described junior guard Natasha Smith as “the key to our success.” Truer words have never spoken, as Smith has turned her already impressive game up a notch to lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional title game. Her efforts have netted the Sacramento native her third Wildcat of the Week honor this season.
Smith earned All-NCAA Championship Tournament West Region Team honors by averaging 14 points, 7.7 assists, five rebounds, and three steals per game during the Wildcats’ run to the Sweet 16 and West Region title game.
Friday against third seeded Western Washington, Smith scored 15 points, snared four rebounds, dished out five assists and made three steals as the Wildcats downed the Vikings 79-68. Saturday versus Humboldt State, the All-CCAA first team selection was even better, posting her second career double-double with 15 points and 10 assists, while hauling in a team-high eight rebounds and five steals in Chico State’s come-from-behind 86-76 victory over the Lumberjacks. Monday, in the regional title game against Seattle Pacific, Smith finished with 12 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and a steal while drawing the defensive assignment against Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year Daesha Henderson and limiting her to just five points on 1-of-10 shooting.
Smith, who led the CCAA in free throw percentage (.824) and assists (134), also led the ’Cats in scoring (11.5 points per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.44). She continues to move up the Chico State career records ladder with each contest. With one year of eligibility still remaining, Smith ranks ninth all-time in scoring, sixth in assists, seventh in free throws and 10th in career steals and 3-pointers.
Women's Basketball vs San Francisco State
2.4.12 | 5:30 p.m.
Women's Basketball at UC San Diego
2.10.12 | 5:30 p.m.
Women's Basketball at Cal State San Bernardino
2.11.12 | 5:30 p.m.
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Wildcats of the Week
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Men's Basketball
Amir Carraway capped a strong weekend with team highs of 16 points and seven rebounds in the Wildcats’ huge win against Humboldt State Saturday night to earn Wildcat of the Week honors for the second time this season.
The sophomore from Vallejo made two game-sealing free throws with 21 seconds left to finish the night 6-of-7 from the free throw line and pulled down key rebounds on two of the Lumberjacks’ last three possessions. He also set the screen on Jay Flores’ dagger 3-pointer with 40 seconds left.
Carraway finished with 10 points and four rebounds despite playing just 18 minutes due to foul trouble during the Wildcats’ loss to Sonoma State the night before.
The 6-foot-5 forward leads the team in rebounding at 5.5 per game and ranks second in scoring at 10.6 points per game a season after averaging just 1.4 points and one rebound in only 5.4 minutes a night. He’s now led the team in scoring five times and rebounding six this season.
Carraway and the Wildcats, among four teams tied for second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings, trail conference co-leaders Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills by just one game. They’ll welcome Cal Poly Pomona to town Friday night and San Francisco State Saturday.
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Women's Basketball
For much of the season, redshirt freshman Caressa Williams has been sitting at the end of the Chico State women’s basketball team bench, seeing very little on-court action. But the former Paradise High School star continued to work hard on her game, and the extra effort has paid off in recent weeks with significantly more playing time. After a string of short but impressive relief roles, Williams delivered a breakout performance Saturday against Humboldt State, posting career highs in scoring and rebounding in the Wildcats’ 90-67 thumping of Humboldt State. Her strongest effort to date makes Williams the latest Wildcat of the Week.
Williams shot over 58 percent (7-of-12), averaging just under 10 points and five rebounds in Chico State’s two weekend contests. She began the weekend with a solid outing Friday against Sonoma State, contributing five points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals in 16 minutes of action. Saturday, though, she was a major part of the Wildcat reserves combining to score 51 in the team’s convincing 23-point win over Humboldt. Williams played 24 minutes, scoring 14 points and hauling in seven rebounds – both career highs – connecting on five of her seven field goal attempts. She also chipped in with an assist and a steal in addition to shining on the defensive end.
Williams’ productive weekend saw her season scoring average more than double, rising from 1.6 to 3.6 points per game. Overall, she is shooting 50 percent from the field and is averaging two rebounds a contest.
Chico State is back in action this weekend, hosting Cal Poly Pomona Friday and San Francisco State Saturday at Acker Gym. Both games are scheduled to tipoff at 5:30 p.m.
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2.3.12 | Women's Basketball
CHICO – Cal Poly Pomona came into Chico Friday struggling to find the success that saw the Broncos win their first eight games of the season. Pomona had dropped three of its last five contests, and had averaged less than 58 points over its last six contests. Fighting to hang onto sole possession of fourth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), the Broncos found the hot hand at Acker Gym, shooting 48 percent from the field and using several long scoring streaks to beat the host Wildcats, 83-74.
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2.2.12 | Women's Basketball
CHICO – With two important southern California road trips on the horizon, the Chico State women’s basketball team would like nothing better than to continue its forward momentum and duplicate last Saturday’s sterling effort against Humboldt State. The Wildcats will get that opportunity in front of the home fans this weekend, hosting Cal Poly Pomona Friday and San Francisco State Saturday at Acker Gym. Tipoff for both games are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
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2.2.12 | General
WALNUT CREEK – The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and Comcast Hometown Network (CHN) announced today an agreement to televise the 2012 CCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament Semifinals and Finals. The CCAA Tournament opens with first round contests at campus sites on Tuesday, Feb. 28 before shifting to UC San Diego’s RIMAC Arena in La Jolla for the semifinals and finals on March 2 and 3, respectively.
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1.30.12 | Women's Basketball
For much of the season, redshirt freshman Caressa Williams has been sitting at the end of the Chico State women’s basketball team bench, seeing very little on-court action. But the former Paradise High School star continued to work hard on her game, and the extra effort has paid off in recent weeks with significantly more playing time. After a string of short but impressive relief roles, Williams delivered a breakout performance Saturday against Humboldt State, posting career highs in scoring and rebounding in the Wildcats’ 90-67 thumping of Humboldt State. Her strongest effort to date makes Williams the latest Wildcat of the Week.
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1.28.12 | Women's Basketball
CHICO – What a difference a night makes. After posting their worst offensive performance of the season Friday against Sonoma State, the Chico State women’s basketball team came alive Saturday versus Humboldt State, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and riding 51 points by the Wildcat reserves to an impressive 90-67 win over a quality Lumberjack squad. Every Chico State player scored as the ’Cats beat the Lumberjacks at Acker Gym for the 15th straight time dating back to the 1994-95 season.
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1.27.12 | Women's Basketball
CHICO – For the Chico State women’s basketball team to climb the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings and the NCAA West Region rankings, the Wildcats will need to figure out how to thwart zone defenses. The ’Cats have struggled throughout January against teams that have thrown up the zone and held the Wildcats to minimal fast break opportunities. Friday was no different, as Sonoma State – the conference’s top defensive team – ran the zone to near perfection, holding the Wildcats to just 16 first half points on the way to a 57-45 victory at Acker Gym.
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1.26.12 | Women's Basketball
CHICO – The Chico State women’s basketball team was looking for a little head of steam heading into the second half of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) schedule, and they got it last weekend with road wins over Cal State East Bay and No. 22 Cal State Monterey Bay. The Wildcats now attempt to keep that positive roll going as they get their second look at conference opponents. The ’Cats return home Friday to face Sonoma State, with Humboldt State visiting Acker Gym on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
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