2003-04 Season Archive

03/22/04
Abts, White named to NCAA West Region team
SPOKANE, WA - Kim Abts and Marissa White have been named to the 2003-04 Daktronics NCAA Division II West Region women's basketball all-star team, making Chico State the only program to boast multiple honorees.

Abts, a 5-7 junior point guard, joins Cal Poly Pomona's Candice Allen, Seattle Pacific's Valerie Gustafson, and Cal State L.A.'s Monica Tokoro on the First-Team. White, a 5-8 senior guard, earned Second-Team honors.

Abts led the CCAA and finished 9th in the nation with 6.8 assists per game. She also averaged 14.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Already Chico State's career record holder in assists, Abts shattered her own single-season mark with 191.

White led the CCAA in 3-pointers made (80) and 3-point percentage (.415). She also led the team in scoring (16.7 points per game), steals (58), and free throw percentage (.789). She averaged 3.6 assists per game and 3.0 rebounds for the 'Cats. Her 80 3-pointers crushed the school record and her 16.7 points per game puts her fourth on the all-time Chico State list.

2004 Daktronics West Regional Women's Basketball All-Star Team

First Team
*Candice Allen, Cal Poly Pomona Guard 5-10 Sr.
Valerie Gustafson, Seattle Pacific Forward 6-0 Sr.
Kelly McRee, Grand Canyon Forward 5-11 Jr.
+Monica Tokoro, Cal State L.A. Guard 5-3 Jr.
Kim Abts, Chico State Guard 5-7 Jr.

Second Team
Heidi Buhler, Northwest Nazarene Guard 5-7 Sr.
Kamie Jo Massey, Alaska Anchorage Forward 5-10 Sr.
Tessa DeBoer, Western Washington Forward 5-11 Sr.
Marissa White, Chico State Guard 5-8 Sr.
Robyn Milne, Montana State-Billings Center 6-3 Jr.
Zipporah Chase, Cal State Dominguez Hills Forward 6-0 So.

*-Unanimous selection
+-Repeat selection

03/14/04 Abts and White named to All-CCAA team WALNUT CREEK - Chico State junior guard Kim Abts and senior wing Marissa White have received All-CCAA First Team honors after their outstanding play in the 2003-04 season.

White led the team in scoring (16.7 points per game), three pointers (80), three-point percentage (.415), steals (58), free throw percentage (.789), and tied for the lead for most blocked shots (9). She also averaged 3.6 assists per game and 3.0 rebounds for the 'Cats.

White's 80 three pointers crushed the school record of 68 set last season and her 16.7 points per game puts her fourth on the all-time Chico State list.

Abts averaged 14.4 points per game, 6.8 assists per game, and 3.4 rebounds per game for the Wildcats. The 6.8 assists per game set a new school record, as did her 191 assists in the season. She also now holds the career record for assists after just three years of play.

With her 404 points this season, she became just the sixth player in Chico State women's basketball history to amass over 1,000 career points. She currently stands at 1,006 points.

03/12/04
Wildcats lose in first round of West Regional
SEATTLE – In retrospect, Seattle’s sunny skies throughout the Chico State women’s basketball team’s first two days at the NCAA Division II Western Regional were an omen: things weren’t going to be predictable. In fact, things turned out to be shocking for the Wildcats. Ranked 3rd in the nation in 3-point percentage and 3-pointers made entering the day, Chico State missed 16-of-22 from downtown. Meanwhile, Cal Poly Pomona, last in the CCAA in 3-pointers made, made a season-best 9-of-20 en route to a thrilling 74-70 victory.

The 6th-seeded Wildcats outrebounded Pomona, the 8th-best rebounding team in the nation, and forced the Broncos into 23 turnovers, but the unthinkable happened. They had their worst shooting performance in the biggest game of the season.

“We just didn’t hit shots we normally hit,” said Wildcats head coach Lynne DeYoung, whose team has now lost in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years. “We did everything we wanted to do as far as our game plan is concerned. We just picked a bad time to have our worst shooting game of the season.”

Only Marissa White and Kara Scheitlin shot the ball well with any consistency for the Wildcats, who finished the season 17-11. White scored 19 of her team-high 24 points in the first half to keep the Wildcats within striking distance. She also matched a career-high with six steals. Scheitlin scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

“Marissa was amazing tonight,” said DeYoung. “She carried us and almost took us to the second round by herself.”

The rest of the team, meanwhile, was just 16-of-44 from the field. Kim Abts made only 4-of-16 shots and Michelle Pietka made just 2-of-7 3-pointers. Abts finished with a game-high 11 assists and scored the 1,000th point of her career despite her shooting struggles.

Cal Poly Pomona, meanwhile, got a game-high 30 points from national scoring leader Candice Allen, including a season-best five 3-pointers. The senior unanimous All-West Region selection was especially dangerous in the second half, burying 4-of-5 treys on the way to 18 points.

“We weren’t going to let her beat us in the paint and she adjusted by hitting some huge threes,” said DeYoung. “She’s a great player, and those are the kind of things great players do.”

The Broncos, seeded No. 3, improved to 22-6 overall with their ninth straight win. Keila Beachem pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds and scored 10 points for Pomona, which will take on Cal State Bakersfield in Saturday’s regional semifinals. Shanika Perkins also finished in double-figures with 10 points.

Though the Wildcats never led in the second half, they remained with striking distance throughout, and tied the game 37-37 on Scheitlin’s layup with 16:26 to play. Cal Poly Pomona responded with consecutive baskets to reclaim the lead for good. Meanwhile, the Wildcats squandered numerous opportunities to draw even or take the lead by missing open jumpers or layups.

Chico State’s last good opportunity came with 21 seconds remaining when Haley Ford stole an inbounds pass, got fouled, and Allen picked up a technical foul for arguing the call. White made both technical free throws to make it a 3-point game, but Ford missed the front end of the one-and-one. Beachem then made two free throws to salt the game away.

Ford, only a freshman, finished with a team-high seven rebounds, scored seven points, and notched five steals.

The tone for the game was set very early as the Broncos raced to an 8-0 lead while Chico State missed its first six shots. Pomona’s lead grew as large as nine on a pair of occasions, but White scored eight straight points to spark an 11-2 run, capped by a Ford 3-pointer, that made it 17-15.

The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes before Allen took over, scoring seven of Pomona’s points during an 8-2 run that gave the Broncos a 34-28 halftime lead. Allen didn’t let up in the second half, and carried Cal Poly Pomona to victory.

“This really hurts right now, but I’m very proud of this team,” said DeYoung. “We fought hard tonight and we fought hard all season. We made it to the postseason and gave ourselves an opportunity, and that’s all you can really ask for.”

03/07/04
It's official...Women to compete again in West Regional in Seattle
For the second year in a row, the Chico State women's basketball team and the the rest of the West’s best are heading to Seattle.

It is the first time the Wildcats will make back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament since 1987-88.

Unbeaten and No.1-ranked Seattle Pacific University is the top seed and will host the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball West Regional beginning Friday, Mar. 12, in Brougham Pavilion. All seven games of the regional tournament will be played on the Falcons’ home court, including the Saturday night, Mar. 13, semifinals and the Monday, Mar. 15, championship game.

Seattle Pacific (27-0) will face No. 8 UC San Diego (15-12) in the nightcap of the first-round. Games begin at 12:30 Friday. Action starts with No. 3 seed Cal Poly Pomona (21-6) vs. No. 6 Chico State (17-10), followed by No. 2 seed Cal State Bakersfield (22-5), the defending regional champion, and No. 7Grand Canyon (16-11) at 2:30, and No. 4 seed Western Washington (20-7) against No. 5 Sonoma State (17-10) at 5:30 p.m.

In all, 64 teams received Div. II berths nationwide. Winners of the eight regional tournaments will advance to the Elite Eight, Mar. 24, 25 and 27 in Saint Joseph, Mo. The NCAA title game will be televised live on ESPN2.

West Regional tickets will go on sale beginning Monday at 9 a.m. at the SPU Athletics Office (206/281-2085). Prices are $10 for reserved seating and $7 for general admission ($5 for students and youth). Ticket office hours are 9-4:30 through Thursday, 9-11 a.m. Friday and 9-4:30 Mar. 15. Box office ticket windows will open at 11:30 a.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Mar. 15.

Teams (by seed) Record
1. Seattle Pacific, 27-0
2. Cal State Bakersfield, 22-5
3. Cal Poly Pomona, 21-6
4. Western Washington, 20-7
5. Sonoma State, 17-10  
6. Chico State, 17-10
7. Grand Canyon, 16-11
8. UC San Diego, 15-12

Game Schedule
Friday, March 12
12:30   Cal Poly Pomona vs. Chico State
2:30    Cal State Bakersfield vs. Grand Canyon
5:30    Western Washington vs.  Sonoma State
7:30    Seattle Pacific vs. UC San Diego

Saturday, March 13
5:00    Semifinal
7:00    Semifinal

Monday, March 15
7:00    Regional Championship
(Winner to Elite Eight, Mar. 24, 25 & 27 in Saint Joseph, Mo.)
The complete 2004 NCAA Women's Tournament bracket

03/06/04
Wildcats lose final regular-season match up in Bakersfield
BAKERSFIELD - The Chico State women's basketball team faultered in the second half allowing Cal State Bakersfield to come from behind and win the final regular-season game of the season for both teams, 73-60.

Both teams will advance to the NCAA Tournament beginning on Friday, March 12.

The Wildcats (17-10, 13-9) led 42-34 at halftime after leading almost the entire first half.

The Roadrunners (22-5, 18-4) went on a 14-0 run in the second half to take control, 65-51. Chico State scored just nine points over the final 13-plus minutes of the game. With the win, the Roadrunners won their second-consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association title.

Michelle Pietka led Chico State with 15 points. Kim Abts added 14 points with five assists.

03/05/04
Women earn second straight NCAA Tournament bid
TURLOCK, CA – For the first time since 1987-88, the Chico State women's basketball team will make back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats' 73-69 victory at Cal State Stanislaus Friday night wrapped up their second straight trip to the postseason.

Chico State, ranked No. 7 in the Western Region entering the weekend, knew it needed a split this weekend to guarantee a tournament bid and they got it Friday night. Marissa White made sure of that, scoring a game-high 26 points to lead the Wildcats to victory.

Kim Abts finished with 16 points and nine assists for Chico State, which improved to 17-9 overall and 13-8 in the CCAA.

Cal State Stanislaus (7-19, 4-17 CCAA) was led by Lindsay Rice's 23-point, 14-rebound effort.

03/03/04
Playoff spot on the line this weekend
CHICO, CA – Entering the final weekend of the season, the Chico State women's basketball team knows one thing for sure: if they win their games at Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State Bakersfield, they're in the postseason.

In fact, it's likely that a win at Stanislaus Friday night would be enough to get the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. The top eight teams in the region earn a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Chico State dropped two spots to No. 7 in the regional rankings after losing twice at home last weekend. The Wildcats, 16-9, could wind up seeded as high as No. 5 with two wins this weekend, or out of the playoff picture if they lose a pair. Fans can catch all the games on the radio this weekend on AM 1290 KPAY. Women's games will begin at 6 p.m. and the men's games are set to tipoff at 8 p.m.

The 64-team field for the NCAA Division II men's and women's basketball tournaments will be announced Sunday night exclusively on College Sports Television (CSTV). The women's bracket will be revealed from 7:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The men's bracket will be announced from 7:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. The official brackets will also be available after the selection show at ncaasports.com.

Following are this week's regional rankings:

1. Seattle Pacific 26-0
2. Cal State Bakersfield 20-5
3. Cal Poly Pomona 19-6
4. Western Washington 19-6
5. Sonoma State 16-9
6. Grand Canyon 16-9
7. Cal State Chico 16-9
8. UC San Diego 14-11
9. Central Washington 17-9
10. Montana State-Billings 16-11

02/28/04
Wildcats lose showdown with West No. 3 Pomona
CHICO, CA – Candice Allen, the nation's leading scorer, tallied 30 points and hit 16-of-16 free throws to lift West Region No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona to an 85-65 victory against West Region No. 5 Chico State Saturday night at Acker Gym.

The Broncos, who improved to 19-6 overall and 15-5 in the CCAA, hit 34-of-40 free throws on the night. Chico State, on the other hand, made just 4-of-12 and fell to 16-9 overall and 12-8 in conference action.

Chico State's Marissa White scored 17 of her team-high 19 points in the first half. But the Wildcats made just 11-of-27 second-half shots as Cal Poly Pomona ran away with the victory. Kim Abts finished with 10 points and matched her season high with 10 assists for Chico State.

Keila Beachem scored 16 points and notched six steals for Cal Poly Pomona, while Brandi Fletcher finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Chico State will wrap up the regular season next weekend at Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State Bakersfield. One win would almost assuredly secure the Wildcats' second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

02/27/04
Coyotes continue to be thorn in Chico State's side
CHICO, CA – The Cal State San Bernardino women's basketball team upset Chico State for the second time this season Friday night at Acker Gym. With the score knotted at 57-all, Hannah Low put back a missed free throw and then scored the game's last five points to lift the Coyotes (9-15, 6-13 CCAA) to the win. The loss snapped Chico State's nine-game winning streak.

Low finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Sequoia Williams led all scorers with 18 points. Nabosa Basse finished with 11 points for the Coyotes, who had lost 7-of-8 coming in.

Chico State fell to 16-8 overall and 12-7 in the CCAA. Kim Abts led the Wildcats with 15 points and Kara Scheitlin chipped in 11.

The Wildcats trailed for much of the first half, but used an 11-0 run early in the first half to take their first lead since the opening minute. They didn't trail again until Low rebounded Basse's missed free throw with 1:20 to play. Low then made 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to put the win away.

Chico State will attempt to get back to its winning ways Saturday when it hosts West Region No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona Saturday at 6 p.m. San Bernardino travels to take on UC Davis.

02/25/04
Wildcats move up to No. 5 in Regional Poll
The Chico State women's basketball team moved up one spot to No. 5 in the latest Western Region rankings Wednesday thanks to a pair of key wins over the weekend. The top eight teams in the region earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, which begins March 13-15 with the Western Regional.

The Wildcats, 16-7 overall and 12-6 in the CCAA, defeated current No. 8 UC San Diego and current No. 7 Grand Canyon over the weekend to run their winning streak to nine games. But the Wildcats face stern tests at home this weekend when Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona come to town Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Pomona women, 17-6, are ranked No. 3 in the West.

Following are the regional rankings
1. Seattle Pacific (24-0)
2. Cal State Bakersfield (19-4)
3. Cal Poly Pomona (17-6)
4. Western Washington (17-6)
5. Cal State Chico (16-7)
6. Sonoma State (14-9)
7. Grand Canyon (14-9)
8. UC San Diego (12-11)
9. Montana State-Billings (15-11)
10. St. Martin's (12-10)

02/21/04
Pietka leads Wildcats to ninth straight win with double-double
CHICO, CA – Michelle Pietka scored a season-high 22 points and matched her career-high with six 3-pointers to lead the Chico State women's basketball team its ninth straight win, 89-73, against visiting Grand Canyon University. The Wildcats' winning streak is their longest since they put 11 consecutive wins together during the 1986-87 season.

The win moved the Wildcats, ranked No. 6 in the Western Region entering the weekend, into sole possession of third place in the CCAA. Chico State is now 16-7 overall and 12-6 in the CCAA. Grand Canyon entered the weekend ranked No. 5 in the West, but after dropping both of its games this weekend, fell to 14-9 overall and 11-7 in the CCAA.

The Wildcats never trailed in the game and built a 48-30 lead by halftime. The lead grew as large as 68-45 on Pietka's free throw with 12:10 to play and Chico State's was never threatened in the second half.

Marissa White joined Pietka in double-figures with 16 points and also notched five steals. Kim Abts, Maija Panttaja, and Kassidy Johnson finished with 13 points apiece. Pietka also pulled down 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season and the fifth of her career.

Kelly McRee led five Antelopes in double-figures with 17 points and Jennifer Cobb chipped in 15.

02/20/04
Abts, Pietka reach milestones in Wildcats' 8th straight win
CHICO, CA – Kim Abts set the Chico State record for career assists and Michelle Pietka became just the fifth woman in school history to reach 1,000 points in a career as the Wildcats hammered visiting UC San Diego 83-67 Friday night at Acker Gymnasium.

Early in the second half, Abts fed Maija Panttaja in the paint for a short jumper for her seventh assist of the night, giving her 407 in her career. Marissa Bradley (1997-01) previously held the record of 406. Abts finished with a game-high 10 assists as Chico State won its eighth straight game to improved to 15-7 overall and 11-6 in the CCAA.

The Wildcats, who entered the weekend ranked No. 6 in the Western Region, were led by Michelle Pietka and Kara Scheitlin, who finished with 17 points apiece. Pietka's 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining gave the Wildcats a 77-64 lead and gave the senior guard 1,000 career points.

Kim Buffum hit five 3-pointers and finished with 16 points to lead UC San Diego. Margaret Johnson chipped in 14 points for the Tritons, who dropped their fifth game in their last eight outings and fell to 12-10 overall and 8-9 in the CCAA. The Tritons entered the weekend ranked No. 8 in the Western Region.

Chico State led by as many as 14 in the first half, but UC San Diego trimmed the advantage to 37-36 on Andrea Herold's layup with 17:02 remaining. Kassidy Johnson's 3-pointer sparked a 9-2 run that gave the Wildcats some cushion, however.

UC San Diego was not done though, and trailed just 53-49 with 9:53 to go. But Chico State scored the next 12 points and led comfortably from then on. Cari Havens came off the bench to spark the run with six points and Johnson chipped in four of her 13 points during the deciding minutes.

Chico State is back in action at home Saturday night when it hosts West Region No. 5 Grand Canyon in a huge showdown with playoff implications at 6 p.m.

02/18/04
Chico State moves up to No. 6 in Regional Poll
With two wins last weekend over Sonoma State and San Francisco State, the Chico State women's basketball team jumped two places in the Division II West Region Poll. The No. 6 Wildcats leaped ahead of Sonoma State and UC San Diego.

1. Seattle Pacific 22-0
2. Cal State Bakersfield 17-4
3. Cal Poly Pomona 15-6
4. Western Washington 16-5
5. Grand Canyon 14-7
6. Cal State Chico 14-7
7. Sonoma State 13-8
8. UC San Diego 12-9
9. Saint Martin's 12-9
10. Central Washington 13-9

02/16/04
Chico State's Kim Abts named Wilson CCAA Player of the Week
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Chico State guard Kim Abts has been named the Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of February 9-15.

Abts, a junior from Redding, led the Wildcats to their sixth and seventh straight wins last week as Chico State upended Sonoma State and San Francisco State to stay in contention for its second straight postseason berth.

Abts hit 73.3 percent of her shots (11 for 15), including a 25-foot trey at the buzzer to give the Wildcats a 69-66 win at Sonoma (Feb. 13). She scored Chico’s final 11 points of the contest and finished with a career-high 32 points to go with 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

The following night, Abts scored 18 points, dished out a game-high 10 assists and added 5 rebounds to lead the Cats to a 93-68 win at SF State. Abts’ final assist of the contest increased her career total to an even 400, just six shy of the all-time school mark.

For the week, Abts averaged 25.0 points on 61.5 percent shooting (16 for 26), 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals. Abts connected on all 11 of her free throw attempts, including a perfect 7-for-7 performance in the narrow win at fellow postseason contender Sonoma. The wins improved Chico to 14-7 overall and 10-6 in the CCAA.

It is the second time this season Abts has received Player of the Week honors. The first time was for the week of December 8-14.

02/14/04
Women's basketball team in 7th heaven
SAN FRANCISCO – The Chico State women's basketball team ran its winning streak to seven games with a 93-68 shellacking of host San Francisco State Saturday night.

Kara Scheitlin led four Wildcats in double-figures with 21 points, nine rebounds, and five steals as Chico State avenged a loss to the Gators earlier this season and improved to 14-7 overall and 10-6 in the CCAA. Marissa White finished with 19 points, Kim Abts scored 18 points and dished out 10 assists, and Michelle Pietka notched 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Abts' 10 assists bring her career total to 400.

She's now just six assists shy of Marissa Bradley's career standard of 406.

Abts will have a chance to surpass that mark when the Wildcats host UC San Diego Friday and Grand Canyon University Saturday at Acker Gym. Both games will tip off a 6 p.m.

02/13/04
Abts' 25-footer at the buzzer gives 'Cats sixth straight win
ROHNERT PARK – Kim Abts capped a career night with a game-winning 25-footer as the buzzer sounded to lift the Chico State women's basketball team to a 69-66 victory over Sonoma State Friday night in Rohnert Park. Abts finished with a career-high 32 points and scored the Wildcats' last 11 as they knocked off the West Region's No. 6 team and snapped the Seawolves' four-game winning streak.

(Abts) played a great game, Chico State head coach Lynne DeYoung told the Enterprise Record. She took over the last five or six minutes of the game and just won it for us. We couldn't score down the stretch, and Kim took over. It's a big win for us in terms of playoff hopes.

The Wildcats, ranked No. 8 in the region entering the weekend, have now won six straight to improve to 13-7 overall and 9-6 in the CCAA. They also moved into a fourth-place tie with the Seawolves (12-8, 9-6 CCAA) in the race for the CCAA title. They trail conference leader Cal State Bakersfield by three games with seven to play.

Marissa White joined Abts in double-figures with 10 points, but it was Abts who carried Chico State to victory. She made 11-of-15 shots, including three-of-four from 3-point range, and all seven of her free throws.

SSU took its first lead of the second half at 62-61 on a Jessica Jones jumper with 1:55 remaining. Abts took the lead right back for Chico State with a layup of her own before Julie Strong nailed a three to give SSU a 65-63 lead with 32 seconds remaining.

After Abts' layup and free throw, Chico led by one with 19 seconds left. The Seawolves' Maribel Ambriz was fouled with five seconds left but hit only the first of two free throws to tie it up at 66. Kassidy Johnson rebounded the miss on the second shot and passed it up court to Abts, whose high-arching shot found the bottom of the net, setting off a wild celebration.

02/07/04
White matches career high with 28 points as 'Cats win again
CHICO – For the second time in eight days Chico State's Marissa White torched Cal State L.A.. White matched her career high, set last Friday night at Cal State L.A., with 28 points, to lead the Wildcats to an 81-68 victory over the Golden Eagles Saturday night at Acker Gymnasium.

White hit 10-of-14 shots, including 5-of-9 from downtown. The senior also chipped in seven rebounds and four assists as Chico State won its fifth straight game. White has averaged 20.8 points per game during the streak.

She's playing like a senior right now, picking us up and carrying us on her back, said Chico State head coach Lynne DeYoung. Tonight she hit some huge shots and basically willed us to the win.

Chico State improved to 12-7 overall and 8-6 in the CCAA with the victory. Cal State L.A., despite Shanna Demus's 30 points and 12 rebounds, fell to 4-15 overall and 3-11 in the CCAA.

White nailed all five of her second-half shots and gave Chico State the lead for good, 50-47, with a 3-pointer with 14:28 to play. That was the start of a 13-2 run in which White scored eight points. Michelle Pietka's first basket of the game, a 3-pointer, gave the Wildcats their largest lead of the game to that point, 63-51, at the 10-minute mark.

The Golden Eagles still had some fight and chipped away at the lead thanks to seven consecutive points from Demus and trailed just 66-62 with 5:31 to play. But Kara Scheitlin answered with back-to-back baskets to give the Wildcats some much-needed cushion and Kim Abts buried the dagger, a 3-pointer that stretched the lead to 75-66, with 2:23 remaining.

Abts finished with 13 points and seven assists in a matchup of two of the conference's top point guards. Cal State L.A.'s Monica Tokoro, an All-American last season, finished with just eight points, five assists, and five turnovers.

Obviously White was huge tonight, but this was a team win, said DeYoung. Kim Abts hit the three that put them away, Kara Scheitlin played great; it seemed like everyone contributed when they had an opportunity.

Scheitlin finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.

Sharonne Herbert and Charmaine Utz joined Demus in double-figures for Cal State L.A. with 10 points apiece.

02/06/04
Abt flirts with triple-double as 'Cats hold off Dominguez Hills
CHICO – Junior point guard Kim Abts finished with 15 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds to lead the Chico State women's basketball team to an 80-71 victory over visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday night at Acker Gymnasium.

The Wildcats, winners of four in a row, improved to 11-7 overall and 7-6 in the CCAA with the victory. Cal State Dominguez Hills, which has now lost two games in six days against the Wildcats, dipped to 10-8 overall and 6-7 in the CCAA.

Chico State, which had five players in double-figures, including Maija Panttaja (career-high 14 points), led comfortably for most of the game. The Wildcats built a 49-36 halftime lead and held on for the win. Chico State's lead grew as large as 57-38 on a Panttaja layup with 17:07 remaining before the Toros began chipping away at the lead. They got as close as 66-61 on Lindsay Peloza's jumper with 7:06 left. Kassidy Johnson headed up a 10-5 run with a 3-pointer and a jumper and Chico State's lead was never seriously threatened after that.

Marissa White led the Wildcats with 17 points. Michelle Pietka finished with 15 points to go along with a game-high eight rebounds. Johnson finished with 13 points.

Zipporah Chase led Dominguez Hills with 18 points, Natasha Gray added 14, and Tameka Blue and Peloza contributed 12 points apiece.

Chico State hosts Cal State L.A. Saturday night at 8 p.m. Cal State Dominguez Hills travels to take on UC Davis.

01/31/04
Women's basketball wins both this weekend
CARSON - Chico State's Kara Scheitlin came off the bench to record a double-double, 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Wildcats to a 67-58 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday night. On Friday night, Marissa White scored 28 points, including five three pointers as the Wildcats beat Cal State L.A. 93-82. The Wildcats have now won three straight.

01/24/04
Senior Johnson's first start keys Wildcats' victory
CHICO - Senior Kassidy Johnson scored a career-high 15 points and pulled down a career-high six rebounds in her first collegiate start to lift the Chico State women's basketball team to a 76-67 victory over Sonoma State Friday night at Acker Gym.

The Wildcats had lost five of their previous six games, largely due to to a porous defense, prompting Johnson's start.

I knew we needed more defensive intensity out on the floor and I knew Kassidy would give that to us because she does every day, said Chico State head coach Lynne DeYoung. That was the key for us tonight. What she did on the offensive end was just a nice bonus.

Chico State, which was led by Kim Abts' 19 points, improved to 8-7 overall and 4-6 in the CCAA. Sonoma State, meanwhile, dropped its fourth straight to fall to 8-7 overall and 5-5 in the CCAA. Jessica Jones sparked the Seawolves with 16 points, while Natalia Worth added 14 and Tara Whiteside chipped in 10.

Chico State took the lead for good with a 10-0 run capped by Marissa White's layup with 14:18 remaining in the first half. White finished with 18 points despite finding herself in foul trouble nearly all night. The Wildcats built the lead as large as 40-24 on Johnson's 3-pointer with 3:43 remaining

Sonoma State slowly began chipping away at the lead in the second half and cut the lead to 65-58 on Maribel Ambriz's 3-pointer with 4:26 to play. White answered with a 3-pointer to keep the Seawolves at bey until Jones' jumper pulled Sonoma State to within 68-63 with 2:02 remaining. A 3-pointer by Abts and White's layup after Michelle Pietka's steal put the game away for the Wildcats, however.

Chico State will travel to face Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills next weekend before returning home to take on those teams the following weekend.

01/23/04
Chico State women continue to slide with 81-71 loss to Gators
CHICO -- San Francisco State's Cristal Fernandez scored 40 points and set school records in free throws and attempts by hitting 20-of-23 as the visiting Gators recovered from a pair of 12-point deficits to beat host Chico State 81-71 Friday night at Acker Gym.

Fernandez made 8-of-15 shots, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range while tallying five assists, five steals, and four rebounds as San Francisco State won its fifth straight game to improve to 9-5 overall and 5-4 in the CCAA.

Chico State got 19 points from Marissa White, 17 of which came in the first half, but fell to 7-7 overall and 3-6 in the CCAA. The Wildcats have now lost five of their last six games.

The Wildcats actually led 62-50 with 12:35 remaining, but San Francisco State took its first lead of the second half with a 19-2 run and held on for the win. Fernandez hit 8-of-8 free throws and a 3-pointer during the crucial run. Bianca Rayford was the other key player for San Francisco State. She came off the bench to notch 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Kim Abts finished with 13 points for Chico State, but made just 1-of-13 shots from the field. Kara Scheitlin chipped in 11 points and Maija Panttaja finished with six points and 10 rebounds in the first start of her career.

Chico State hosts Sonoma State Saturday night and San Francisco State is at UC Davis.

01/17/04
Wildcats comeback falls short in loss to San Diego
SAN DIEGO - The Chico State women's basketball team lost for the fourth time in five tries, suffering a 79-71 defeat to UC San Diego on the road.

With the win, the Tritons snap a three-game losing streak and improve their record to 8-5 overall while evening their league mark at 4-4.  A fourth loss over its last five games drops Chico State to 7-6 overall, 3-5 in league play.      

The game was tied, 23-23, with 5:27 remaining in the first half, but the Tritons scored the next four points, followed shortly by another 4-0 run, and got the final six points of the period for a n40-28 advantage at the break.

The Wildcats mounted a comeback in the second half, slowly chipping away at the deficit, and eventually took the lead at 57-56 with 6:41 left to play on a lay-up by Michelle Pietka. 

San Diego's Leora Juster connected on a jumper 45 seconds later to regain the upper hand for her side, and UCSD never trailed again the rest of the way.  A 5-0 run put the score at 68-62 in favor of the Tritons at the 2:04 mark, and the Tritons cruised from there, making nine of 14 free throws down the stretch.

For the Wildcats, senior Marissa White poured in 21 points to go with five assists while Pietka wound up with 17 points and seven rebounds.  Junior Maija Panttaja got her hands on 11 boards off the bench.

San Diego forward Margaret Johnson provided a double-double with game highs of 24 points and 16 rebounds.  Juster added 22 points and five assists, sharing game high honors. 

01/16/04
Wildcats fall to Antelopes in Phoenix
PHOENIX - The Wildcats didn't score a point in the final two minutes of the game as they lost to Grand Canyon University, 90-77 in Phoenix on Friday night.

Chico State (7-5, 3-4 California Collegiate Athletic Association) cut the lead to 81-77 on a Marissa White 3-pointer but didn't score the remainder of the way. The Antelopes (9-3, 6-1) maintained their first-place conference standing.

The Wildcats led 54-52 at the 15-minute mark then fell behind by 12 with 4:34 remaining.

Michelle Pietka led Chico State with 17 points and White had 15. Kim Abts finished with 13 and Haley Ford added 12.

Grand Canyon's Kelly McRee had a game-high 29 points and Denica Davis scored 22.