2004-05 Season Archive
03/23/05
Lynne Roberts named D-II Coach of the year for the West Region
Chico State women’s basketball coach Lynne Roberts was named the Division II Coach of the Year for the West Region by Russel Athletic and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
Roberts coached the Wildcats to a record of 24-6 and Chico State's third straight trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Wildcats lost the championship game to host Seattle Pacific University, who eventually went on to play for the national title.
The 24 wins this season was a school record, as was 2,657 points in a season, a 47 percent field-goal percentage, 248 three pointers and 650 assists.
03/23/05
Kim Abts named Daktronics Second Team All-American
also named Kodak/WBCA Honorable Mention All-American
Chico State women’s basketball player Kim Abts received second team honors on the 2005 Daktronics NCAA D-II All-American team. She was also named Kodak/WBCA Honorable Mention All-American.
Abts, a senior guard from Redding, led the nation with 9.7 assists per game and averaged 15.1 points for the Wildcats. She also set school records for season assists (290), career assists (738), and career 3-pointers (180).
Chico State finished 24-6, winning its first-ever CCAA Championship (16-4) and reached the championship game at the West Regional of the NCAA Division II National Championships.
Besides Abts, four other West Region players were honored. Cal Poly Pomona forward Candice Allen was a first-team pick and Player of the Year, with Cal State Bakersfield’s Katie McElree, Western Washington’s Tina Donahue, and Seattle Pacific’s Amy Taylor receiving honorable mention.
03/14/05
Wildcats' season ends with championship bout
What a ride it was!
SEATTLE, Wash. - The Chico State women's basketball season came to end with an 85-70 loss to host Seattle Pacific University in the championship game of the NCAA Division II West Regional at Brougham Pavilion.
It was the first time the Wildcats had advanced to the championship round of the regional tournament in the school's history, but the record-setting squad was unable to upend the Falcons, who are practically unbeatable on their home court. SPU has won 31 straight at home and 66 of the last 67.
The Wildcats finish the season at 24-6, setting several school records in the process: Most wins, best winning percentage (.800), most points (2,657), best field-goal percentage (.472), most 3-pointers (248), and most assists (650), to name a few.
Seattle Pacific (28-2) advances to the Elite Eight for the second straight year. The Falcons trailed just once in the game, 7-4, following a three-pointer by Kim Abts with 15:59 left in the first half, but then ran off 12 straight points to take control of the game.
Chico climbed back within three points, 20-17, with 8:50 left in the half, but the Falcons then scored the next seven points and eventually built a 15-point lead before settling for a 41-29 lead at halftime. In the second half, Chico was never able to get closer than eight points.
Haley Ford led Chico with 19 points, Kara Scheitlin had 18 and Abts had 14, but Lauren Himmelspach, who scored 63 points in the Wildcats' first two tournament games, was held to nine points, converting on only three of 13 shots. Himmelspach, however, did have seven rebounds and six steals. Ford and Amber Simmons each had 10 rebounds.
Tournament MBP Many Wood led the Falcons with 17 points and had six assists and four steals. Also contributing offensively to SPU's balanced attack were Carli Smith and Jenny Poe with 14 points, Amy Taylor with 13, Brittney Kroon with 11 and Michelle Beaumont with 10. Smith recorded a double-double pulling down 13 rebounds, while Taylor had a game-high seven assists.
Joining Wood on the all-tournament team were Smith and Taylor, both from Seattle Pacific; Abts and Himmelspach of Chico and Courtney Clapp of Western Washington.
03/14/05
Chico State takes top three CCAA honors
Kim Abts - Most Valuable Player of the Year
Amber Simmons - Freshman of the Year
Lynne DeYoung - Coach of the Year
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Guard Kim Abts has been named the 2004-05 California Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Most Valuable Player of the Year, as selected by the league head coaches. Chico State’s Lynne DeYoung received CCAA Coach of the Year honors, and first-year Wildcat forward Amber Simmons received CCAA Freshman of the Year.
Junior Lauren Himmelspach was also named First Team, who along with senior Maija Panttaja and sophomore Haley Ford, who were both selected Second Team, made it a clean sweep for the starting Wildcat five.
Abts, a senior from Redding, was the catalyst of the league’s top team. She finished the regular season as the NCAA Division II leader in assists average (9.7 per game), and also led the CCAA in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.27). In addition to averaging 15.4 points per contest, Abts ranked second in the CCAA in three-pointers per game (2.27), fourth in three-point percentage (36.7%), 13th in free-throw percentage (73.0%), 15th in field goal percentage (40.4%) and 18th in steals (1.52 per game).
Simmons, a 5-11 post from Chico, finished the regular season as the CCAA rebounding (10.6 per game) and blocked shots (1.69 per game) leader, and ranked fifth in the CCAA in scoring (15.7 points per game), second in field goal percentage (57.5%) and ninth in steals (2.19 per game).
Himmelspach, a 5-9 guard from Chico, led the CCAA in steals (3.27 per game), ranked third in scoring (20.2 per game) and second in 3-point percentage at .426.
In her third season at Chico State, DeYoung led the Wildcats to a 22-5 regular season record, the school’s first-ever CCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, and a third straight NCAA Division II postseason appearance.
03/12/05
Wildcats to make first-ever Regional Championship game appearance
Take on Seattle Pacific Monday at 7 p.m.
SEATTLE, Wash. - Chico State built a 14-point first-half lead, then fought off several challenges by Western Washington in the second half before securing a 85-75 win and a berth in Monday night's NCAA Division II West Regional women's championship basketball game.
The third-seeded Wildcats, champions of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, take a 24-5 record and an eight-game winning streak into the University's first-ever regional title contest.
Guard Lauren Himmelspach led Chico with 26 points, three assists and six steals as she went the distance playing all 40 minutes. The Wildcats also got 17 points from forward Amber Simmons, 13 off the bench from Kara Scheitlin and 10 points and nine assists from Kim Abts. Abts is the NCAA Division II national leader in assists.
Western Washington (24-5) got another big game from center Courtney Clapp. Clapp hit on 10 of 16 shots and scored 23 points. She had 32 in Friday's 82-74 overtime win over Cal State Dominguez Hills. Also in double figures were Tina Donahue with 17 points and Jodi Gerald with 11. Gerald and Donahue each had nine rebounds.
Western dominated the backboards outrebounding Chico 41-29, but Chico had nine fewer turnovers. The Wildcats also shot 50 percent from the floor, making 31 of 62, including five of 13 treys. Western nearly matched those numbers shooting 48.4, but was only three of 14 from the arc.
The Vikings jumped to an early 9-5 lead with nine straight points and led until midway through the first period, but Chico broke out of a 19-19 tie on a layup by Scheitlin and later used a 10-0 spurt, including seven points by Himmelspach, to go up by 14.
Western closed the gap to seven at halftime, then pulled to within four points three different times in the last eight minutes. The Vikings final charge happened when they trailed by 11 with 4:20 left. Clapp hit a jumper and Donahue hit a three-pointer and two free throws to cut the lead to four (77-73) with 2:52 left, but Chico got eight of the final 10 points to clinch its berth in the title game.
03/11/05
Wildcats win by 18 points in opening round of NCAA West Regional
Play Saturday at 5:00 against Western Washington
SEATTLE, Wash. - Guard Lauren Himmelspach scored a school record tying 37 points and Kim Abts had 13 points, 13 assists and five steals as Chico State overcame a 15-point first-half deficit to defeat Cal Poly Pomona 77-59 in the first game of the NCAA Division II Women's West Regional basketball tournament Friday at Brougham Pavilion on the campus of Seattle Pacific University.
Cal Poly Pomona, the No. 6 seed, surprised the third-seeded Wildcats early going on a 16-0 to go up 26-11 with 9:33 left in the first half, but Chico quickly got back in it with a 9-0 run of its own. Himmelspach, who had 21 points at halftime, scored all nine including a pair of three-pointers.
Chico later used another 9-0 run to pull within one point (30-29) with 2:01 left before settling for a 34-34 tie at halftime.
The Wildcats took command early in the second half, scoring 19 straight points to break out of a 42-42 tie. Abts' three-pointer with 15:45 left put Chico ahead to stay, the first of her eight points in the run.
The Broncos managed to claw back to within single-digits once (61-52 with 6:31 left), taking advantage of an over five minute scoring drought by Chico, but Maija Panttaja then hit a three-pointer to put Chico back on top by 12 and Cal Poly never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.
Himmelspach connected on 12-of-20 shots, including five of six three-pointers as Chico converted on 11-of-26 treys. She also had five steals. Joining her and Abts in double figures were Panttaja with 13 points and Haley Ford with 10. Amber Simmons had 18 rebounds as Chico (23-5) won the battle of the backboards 43-34.
Candice Allen, the Daktronics West Region Player-of-the-Year, led Cal Poly Pomona (20-8) with 19 points. Alexis Wilson and Shyrah Thomas each scored 10 points.
Chico advances to Saturday's 5 p.m. semifinals against the second-seeded Western Washington, which beat Cal State Dominguez Hills 82-74 in overtime.
03/08/05
Abts First Team All Region; Himmelspach Second Team
SPOKANE, WA – Point guard Kim Abts and guard Lauren Himmelspach, who helped lead the Chico State women's basketball earn to its first ever CCAA title and its third straight trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament this season, were both named to the 2004-05 Daktronics NCAA Division II West Region women’s basketball all-star team Tuesday.
Abts, who leads the nation in assists (9.7 per game) and is eighth on the NCAA career assists list, was just edged by Cal Poly Pomona's Candice Allen for Regional Player of the Year honors. Abts and Allen were the only players on all 21 ballots. They were also the only repeaters from last year's first team.
Allen leads the nation in scoring at 28.3 points per game.
Joining that pair on the first team are Katie McElree of Cal State Bakersfield, Cody Burgess of Alaska Fairbanks and Martina Kartikova of Saint Martin’s.
Himmelspach, the CCAA's third-leading scorer at 19.3 points per game and Chico State's single-season steals record holder with 84, is one of six players to earn a spot on the second team. Tina Donahue of Western Washington, Adrienne Taalak of Alaska Fairbanks, Robyn Milne of Montana State – Billings, Tameka Blue of Cal State Dominguez Hills, and Amy Taylor of Seattle Pacific make up the rest of the second team. Milne was named to the second team for the second straight year.
The team is selected by the sports information directors at the region’s schools that sponsor women’s basketball. The region includes teams, which compete in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference plus independents Grand Canyon, Montana State-Billings and Western New Mexico.
Players selected to the regional first team will now be listed on the Daktronics All-American national ballot. The All-American team will be announced later this month.
2005 Daktronics West Regional Women's Basketball All-Star Team
First Team
Candice Allen, Cal Poly Pomona Guard 5-10 Sr. Ontario
Kim Abts, Chico State Guard 5-7 Sr. Redding
Katie McElree, Cal State Bakersfield Forward/Guard 5-8 Jr. Apple Valley
Cody Burgess, Alaska Fairbanks Forward 5-10 Sr. Leavenworth, WA
Martina Kartikova, Saint Martin’s Forward/Center 6-0 Sr. Kosice, Slovakia
Second Team
Second Team
Lauren Himmelspach, Chico State Guard 5-9 Jr. Chico, CA
+Robyn Milne, Montana State-Billings Center 6-3 Sr. Richey, MT
Tina Donahue, Western Washington Forward 6-0 Jr. Stanwood, WA
Adrienne Taalak, Alaska Fairbanks Guard 5-6 Sr. Nuiqsuit, AK
Tameka Blue, Cal State Dominguez Hills Guard 5-7 Jr. Watsonville, CA
Amy Taylor, Seattle Pacific Guard 5-8 Sr. Shoreline, WA
*Repeater from 2003-04 first team
+Repeater from 2003-04 second team.
03/07/05
Amber Simmons named CCAA Player of the Week
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – For the second time in the last five weeks, Chico State center Amber Simmons has been named the Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week. This marks the seventh time in 15 weeks the honor has been bestowed on a Chico State player.
Simmons, a freshman from Chico, led the Wildcats to a pair of road victories that clinched the school’s first-ever CCAA women’s basketball championship.
For the week of February 28 through March 6, Simmons averaged 10 points, 17.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals.Chico improved to 22-5 on the season and is the No. 3 seed in the upcoming NCAA West Regional..
Simmons scored 10 points, pulled down 17 rebounds and added a blocked shot in a 112-96 win at Cal State Bakersfield (Mar. 4). Simmons then tallied 13 points and 18 rebounds to power Chico to an 83-63 win over Cal State L.A. (Mar. 5) to finish the regular season.
03/06/05
Wildcats headed again to NCAA Tournament
Chico State to make third staiht appearance
For the third year in a row, Chico State women's basketball coach Lynne DeYoung has led her team to a NCAA Tournament berth. This year the Wildcats received the No. 3 seed and will take on No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona in the opening round on March 11 in Seattle.
It is the first time in school history the Wildcats will make three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament.
No.1-seeded Seattle Pacific University will host the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball West Regional beginning Friday, Mar. 11, in Brougham Pavilion. All seven games of the regional tournament will be played on the Falcons' home court, including the Saturday night, Mar. 12, semifinals and the Monday, Mar. 14, championship game.
Seattle Pacific (25-2) will face No. 8 Montana State-Billings (21-6) in the nightcap of the first-round. Games begin at 12:30 Friday. Action starts with No. 3 seed Chico Sate (22-5) vs. No. 6 Cal Poly Pomona (20-7), followed by No. 2 seed Western Washington (23-4) vs. No. 7 Cal State Dominguez Hills (17-9) at 2:30, and No. 4 seed St. Martin's (21-6) vs. No. 5 Cal State Bakersfield (20-7) at 5:30 p.m.
Game times on Saturday are 5:00 and 7:00. The championship game is Monday at 7:00.
In all, 64 teams received Division II berths nationwide. Winners of the eight regional tournaments will advance to the Elite Eight, Mar. 23-26 in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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). Box office ticket windows will open at 11:30 a.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Mar. 15.
03/05/05
Wildcats win first-ever CCAA title
LOS ANGELES - Maija Panttaja scored a career-high 26 points Saturday night as the Wildcats beat Cal State L.A.83-63 and help the Chico State women's basketball team clinch its first-ever California Collegiate Athletic Association championship.
The Wildcats, who joined the CCAA in 1998, concluded the regular season with a 22-5 record, including a 16-4 conference mark. Their first-round opponent for the NCAA Division II Western Regional will be announced on Sunday at 7:00 pacific time.
Audrianna Spencer added 14 points for the Wildcats and Amber Simmons had 13. Simmons grabbed 18 rebounds and Kim Abts dished off nine assists.
03/04/05
Wildcats one victory away from CCAA title
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - With a 112-96 win over host Cal State Bakersfield, the Chico State women's basketball team guaranteed itself at least a share of its first CCAA title. The Wildcats (21-5), ranked No. 3 in the West and No. 18 in the nation can secure an outright hold of the title with a win over Cal State L.A. tomorrow night.On most nights, scoring 96 points in a women’s basketball game is enough to earn the win. But against one of the hottest shooting teams in the west region, it wasn’t.
The Wildcats, had seven of their eight players score in double–figures, including all five starters. Lauren Himmelspach scored 24 points and Kim Abts added 21 and a game-high six assists. Haley Ford netted 16, while Kara Scheitlin and Audriana Spencer each came off the bench to record 15 points.
The Roadrunners simply could not stop the Wildcats, who shot an amazing 54 percent from the field including shooting at a 65.7 percent clip in the decisive second half.
CSUB held a 58–53 advantage at halftime, but the Wildcats slowly began to pull away midway through the second. After the teams traded baskets, the Wildcats went on a 23–7 run over the next six minutes to pull away. During the run, Chico hit 11 of 12 shots, scoring on all 11 of its possessions.
Bakersfield guard Katie McElree led the Roadrunner scoring, matching her career–high with 36 points on the night.
03/02/05
Women's hoops up one spot to No. 18 in nation, No. 3 in Western Region
Thanks to a pair of home wins over the the weekend, the Chico State women's basketball team moved up one spot in the national poll to No. 18 and one spot in the regional poll to No. 3 this week. The Wildcats, who are now 20-5 overall, travel to Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State L.A. this weekend with the CCAA title on the line. They will learn their seeding in the Division II NCAA Tournament field Sunday at 7:00 p.m.
02/28/04
Chico State's Kim Abts named 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 21-27.
Abts, a senior from Redding, earned the honor for the fourth time this season after leading the Wildcats to wins over San Francisco State and Sonoma State (Feb. 25-26) last week.
Playing in the final two home games of her career, Abts created a lasting memory and reached a trio of career milestones. Against Sonoma, she became just the ninth player in NCAA Division II women's basketball history to record 700 assists. She also tied Chico State's career three-pointer record with her 169th and moved into third on Chico State's career scoring list with 1,401 points. Abts buried 11-of-20 shots en route to matching her season-high of 25 points to go along with 9 assists and 6 rebounds en route to an 83-57 win.
In an 88-74 victory over San Francisco State the previous night, Abts finished with 17 points nine assists, and three rebounds.
For the week, she averaged 21.0 points on 48.6 percent shooting (18-37), 9.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds. The CCAA all-time assist leader, Abts is just three away from the CCAA single-season record of 251, held by former Cal Poly Pomona standout Michelle McCoy.
02/26/05
Senior Night memorable one for 'Cats
CHICO, Calif. – The three seniors on Chico State's women's basketball team left Acker Gymnasium on top of their games Saturday night as the Wildcats smashed visiting Sonoma State 83-57. Playing in their last games on their home court, Kim Abts, Maija Panttaja, and Kara Scheitlin combined for 50 points and 25 rebounds.
Abts, who finished with 25 points and nine assists, became just the ninth player in Division II women's basketball history to record her 700th career assist. Panttaja recorded career highs with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Lauren Himmelspach also finished with 25 points.
The Wildcats improved to 20-5 overall and 14-4 in the CCAA with the victory. They become just the third Chico State team ever to win 20 games and also moved into a first-place tie with Cal State Dominguez Hills atop the CCAA standings.
Maribel Ambriz led Sonoma State with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, but the rest of the Seawolves combined to shoot just 25-percent (14-of-55).
Chico State, ranked No. 19 in the nation and No. 4 in the Western Region entering the weekend, wraps up its regular-season schedule next weekend at Cal State Bakersfield Friday night and at Cal State L.A. Saturday night. Both games will tip off at 5:30 p.m.
02/25/05
Wildcats alone in second place in CCAA
CHICO, Calif. - Freshman Amber Simmons recorded her 14th double-double of the season, including a season/career high 27 points, to lead the Chico State women's basketball team to a 88-74 CCAA win over San Francisco State tonight in front of 1,022 fans in Acker Gym.
The Wildcats, ranked No. 19 in the nation and No. 4 in the West, improve to 19-5 overall, 13-4 in CCAA play and move to within one game of first-place Cal State Dominguez Hills. Dominguez Hills lost tonight to San Bernardino. Cal Poly Pomona, which entered the evening tied with the Wildcats in second place, also lost to UC San Diego.
Chico State led by nine points at halftime, 42-33, and continued to pull away in the second half to build the lead to 19 points with six minutes to play.
Simmons shot 76 percent from the floor (13-of-17) and tore down 12 rebounds for the 'Cats. Lauren Himmelspach ended the game with 22 points, four steals, and four assists. Kim Abts was the only other player in double figures with 17 points and nine assists.
Bianca Rayford led San Francisco State (6-18, 5-12 CCAA) with 23 points and eight rebounds. Farryn Lewis finished with 15 points and four steals and Marissa Meadows came off the bench to notch 10 points.
The Wildcats host Sonoma State in their final home game of the season. Wildcat seniors Abts, Maija Panttaja, and Kara Scheitlin will be honored before the 6:00 tip off.
02/23/05
19th-ranked Wildcats remain No. 4 in West
The Chico State women's basketball team held steady at No. 4 in the Western Region after splitting a road trip to Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona over the weekend. Chico State dipped one spot in the national rankings to No. 19.
The Wildcats, now 18-5 overall and 12-4 in the CCAA, trail Seattle Pacific, Western Washington, and Cal State Dominguez Hills in the regional rankings, which determine the eight regional squads that qualify for the postseason. The Wildcats are looking for their third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, and would likely wrap up a berth with home wins against San Francisco State and Sonoma State this Friday and Saturday night, respectively.
Following are the regional rankings: 1. Seattle Pacific; 2. Western Washington; 3. Cal State Dominguez Hills; 4. Chico State; 5. St. Martin's; 6. Cal State Bakersfield; 7. Cal Poly Pomona; 8. Montana State-Billings; 9. Cal State San Bernardino; 10. UC San Diego.
02/19/05
No. 18 Wildcats beat No. 20 Broncos, 88-67
POMONA - The Chico State women's basketball team outscored Cal Poly Pomona 43-28 in the second half to win a CCAA battle of two nationally ranked team. No. 18 Chico State downed No. 20 Pomona 88-67 on Saturday night in Kellogg Gym.
The win bumps Chico State (18-5, 12-4), ranked No. 4 in the West into a second-place tie with Pomona (17-6, 12-4), ranked No. 7 in the West. Both teams are two games behind first-place Cal State Dominuez Hills.
Pomona scored the opening basket in the second half to cut the lead to four points, but that was as close as the Broncos would get. Chico State went on an 11-3 run to open up a 12-point lead, 56-44, and the Broncos never got closer than seven points after that.
Cal Poly Pomona got within nine points, 63-54, after a free throw by Reed with 10:11 to go, but Chico State scored the next 10 points to put the game away.
Kim Abts led four Wildcats in double figures with 19 points and 13 assists. Amber Simmons had 16 points, Audriana Spencer had 15 points and Maija Panttaja had 13 points.
The Broncos played without the nation's leading scorer, Candice Allen, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Chico State shot a sizzling 55 percent from the floor and also owned a 39-31 rebounding edge against the Broncos.
Brandi Fletcher had 17 points and five rebounds to lead three Broncos in double figures. Shanika Perkins had 13 points, while Natasha Reed had 10 points.
02/18/05
Wildcats fall to Toros for the second time this season
CARSON - Dominguez Hills' Tameka Blue registered a double-double with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead host Cal State Dominguez Hills to an 84-73 win over the Chico State women's basketball team Friday night in the Torodome. It was the second time the Toros beat the Wildcats this season.
The win over the No. 18 Wildcats (17-5, 11-4), helped solidify Dominguez Hills' (15-6, 13-2) hold atop the CCAA standings.
CSUDH took a 37-32 lead into the locker room after being down 9-0 to start the night. The Toros used a 19-11 run to get back into the game and took the lead, 21-20, with 8:40 on the clock.
The Toros then went on a 9-2 spurt to take its biggest lead of the first half, 30-22, with 5:41 remaining. But Chico answered back with a 10-1 run to retake the lead, 32-31, after Kim Abts second three-pointer of the half at 2:19.
The Toro defense held the Wildcats scoreless over the final 2:19, while Blue and Jessica Liang hit treys to give CSUDH the five-point lead at the break.
The game was tied three times in the first seven minutes of the second half before the Toros took the lead for good, 51-49, after a pair of free throws by Shirley with 12:56 left. CSUDH built a double-digit lead, 71-61, but Chico trimmed it down to five points twice over the final six minutes.
Cal State Dominguez Hills' bench was responsible for 36 points compared to only five for Chico. Crystal Maciel led the bench scoring with 12 points on four-consecutive three-pointers in the second half and Octavia Askew and Bailey followed Blue in the scoring department contributing with 11 points each.
Haley Ford, Maija Panttaja, and Lauren Himmelspach paced the balanced Chico attack with 14 points each. Kim Abts and Amber Simmons followed with 13 apiece.
02/12/05
Wildcats hold off Coyotes for 65-60 win
SAN BERNARDINO - Chico State exploded to a 14-1 advantage early in the first half and then held off a determined Cal State San Bernardino comeback to earn a 65-60 California Collegiate Athletic Association victory over the Coyotes in Coussoulis Arena Saturday night.
The Wildcats, ranked No. 15 in the nation and No. 3 in the West Region, improved to 17-4 overall and 11-3 in the CCAA. The Coyotes dropped to 15-6 overall and 9-5 in the conference.
Lauren Himmelspach led all scorers with 24 points and contributed three assists and teammate Maija Panttaja had 16 points. Amber Simmons came up huge on defense, pulling down a season-high 18 rebounds to go with 13 points for her 13th double-double of the year. Kim Abts, who had 21 points in Friday night's loss to UC San Diego, was limited to just five points but had seven assists.
Tamara Thomas had 12 points and three steals for the Coyotes, while Sequoia Williams had 11 points and Leilani Tirona 10 points and seven assists.
Trailing 19-5 after the opening blitz by the Wildcats, the Coyotes climbed back into the game to trail 34-25 at the half.
In the second half, the Coyotes climbed to within four points at 41-37 on a lay up and then cut the margin to two points at 51-49 on a free throw with 8:58 left. The 'Cats went on a 12-6 run over the next eight minutes for a eight-point advantage, 63-55, with 56 seconds left.
The Coyotes sank a free throw with 21 seconds left to cut the margin to four at 63-59, but Haley Ford rebounded a missed Coyote shot and was fouled and sank both free throws to ice the game with 13 seconds left.
02/11/05
UC San Diego upends No. 15 Chico State
LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego women's basketball team upended 15th-ranked and CCAA co-leader Chico State 80-77 Friday night at RIMAC Arena. UC San Diego avenged an earlier-season loss to Chico State when the Wildcats handed the Tritons their worst loss of the year, a 27-point defeat in Chico.
The Wildcats fall to 16-4 overall, 10-3 in CCAA play. The Tritons improve to 12-8 overall and 8-5 in league play.
Statistically the game was just about even, as the shooting percentages for both the field goals and free throws were separated by only four points. Chico State grabbed 17 offensive rebounds while UCSD pulled down 16. The big difference came in ball handling as the Wildcats turned the ball over 27 times compared to only 14 for the Tritons. As a result, UCSD had 15 steals to only five for Chico State.
Kim Abts led the way for CSUC, scoring a game-high 21 points to go along with six boards and nine assists. Lauren Himmelspach scored 15 points, while Amber Simmons added 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season.
Margaret Johnson led the way for UCSD, scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds and teammate Hillary Hansen added 18 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Karina Siam chipped in 14 points and Leora Juster scored 10, grabbed nine boards, dished out six assists and had five steals.
02/09/05
Chico State basketball teams among region's best
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Chico State women's basketball team, ranked No. 15 in the nation, remained at No. 3 in the Western Region in the latest regional poll Wednesday. The top eight teams in the region will earn a playoff spot.
Chico State, which is 6-2 against teams currently in the region's Top 10, faces No. 10 UC San Diego Friday night at 5:30 and No. 9 Cal State San Bernardino Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Following are the West Region rankings:
Team vs. West Region and (Overall)
1 Seattle Pacific 16-0 (19-1)
2 Western Washington 14-2 (18-2)
3 Cal State Chico 14-3 (16-3)
4 Cal Poly Pomona 11-3 (15-4)
5 Cal State Bakersfield 10-4 (14-5)
6 Cal State Dominguez Hills 11-2 (12-6)
7 St. Martin's 9-3 (14-5
8 Montana State-Billings 9-4 (15-5)
9 Cal State San Bernardino 10-4 (14-5)
10 UC San Diego 9-5 (11-8)
02/07/05
Chico State's Amber Simmons named CCAA Player of the Week
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- CHICO STATE post Amber Simmons has been named the Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of January 31 through February 6.
Simmons, a freshman from Chico, led the Wildcats to convincing victories over Cal State Stanislaus (Feb. 2) and CSU Monterey Bay (Feb. 5).
She scored a career-high 27 points on 12 of 14 shooting and added 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocked shots in a 110-60 win over Stanislaus. She then tallied 24 points on 11 of 14 shooting, hauled in 10 rebounds, and added 2 steals and an assist against in a 107-53 win over CSUMB.
For the week, Simmons averaged 25.5 points on 82.1 percent shooting (23 for 28), 13.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals, 3.0 assists and 1.0 blocked shots per game.
02/05/05
Chico State women continue historic season
CHICO, Calif. – The Chico State women's basketball team's historic season continued Saturday night as the Wildcats hammered visiting Cal State Monterey Bay 107-53 Saturday night at Acker Gym. The Wildcats set single-game assists (32) and margin-of-victory records (54 points) in the process.
It was the fifth time this season the Wildcats have reached the century mark and the second time in the last two games. The victory was Head Coach Lynne DeYoung's 50th of her three-year career.
Chico State, ranked No. 17 in the nation, improves to 16-3 overall, 10-2 in CCAA play.
The Wildcats took an 11-point lead just over three minutes into the game and built it to a 36-point advantage by halftime, 57-21.
Lauren Himmelspach led all scorers with 29 points and seven steals. Amber Simmons recorded her fifth straight double-double, her 11th of the season, with totals of 24 points and 10 rebounds. Kim Abts picked up her tenth double-double with 17 points and 13 assists. Maija Panttaja notched 15 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
Natalie Franka and Michelle Hale each had 11 points for the Otters (3-16, 0-12 CCAA).
Chico State hits the road the next weekend with games in San Diego and San Bernardino.
02/02/05
True freshman Simmons leads 'Cats to 110-60 win
CHICO, Calif. – True freshman Amber Simmons scored as season-high 27 points and matched her season-bests with 16 rebounds and five steals as the Chico State women's basketball team reached the century mark for the fourth time this season in a 110-60 victory over visiting Cal State Stanislaus Wednesday night at Acker Gym.
Maija Panttaja also notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the WIldcats, ranked No. 17 in the nation. Chico State improved to 15-3 overall and 9-2 in the CCAA. Lauren Himmelspach and Audriana Spencer chipped in 16 points apiece for the Wildcats, while Haley Ford scored 18 points to go along with eight rebounds.
Lindsie LeFort paced Stanislaus, now 3-15 overall and 2-9 in the CCAA, with 25 points, including six 3-pointers. Gwendolyn Page, the only other Stanislaus player in double figures, notched 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
The Wildcats will be back in action at home this Saturday when they play host to Cal State Monterey Bay at 6 p.m.
01/29/05
Wildcats atop CCAA Standings
CHICO, Calif. - Freshman Amber Simmons recorded her ninth double-double of the year, as the Chico State women's basketball beat Cal State Bakersfield, 89-70, for the first time ever in nine meetings tonight in Acker Gym. With the win, the Wildcats (14-3, 8-2 CCAA) grab a share of first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings, along with Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona.
Simmons scored the first basket of the game 22 second into the contest and the Wildcats never trailed, building a 10-point lead midway through the first period and a 48-35 halftime lead. Chico's largest lead of the game was 26 points with eight minutes remaining in the game.
In addition to Simmons' 18 point, 11 rebound double-double, teammate Maija Panttaja recorded her third double-double of the season with a career high 13 rebounds and 15 points. Kim Abts recorded 17 points and Audi Spencer came off the bench to net 12 points.
Katie McElree led Bakersfield (13-4, 7-3 CCAA) with 22 points. Gillian Lillich was the only other Roadrunner in double figures with 14 points. Shakaria Jones led all players with six assists and Margaux Hallahan recorded a team-high eight rebounds.
Next up for the Wildcats is a home match-up with travel partner Cal State Stanislaus on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Acker Gym.
01/28/05
Wildcats cruise past Cal State L.A.
CHICO, Calif. – The Chico State women's basketball team, ranked No. 20 in the nation and No. 5 in the West Region, gave up just 14 first-half points en route to a 89-49 win against Cal State L.A. in California Collegiate Athletic Association basketball action tonight in Acker Gym.
Chico State (13-2, 7-2 CCAA) started slow, but took the lead three minutes into the game and never looked back for its seventh straight win over Cal State L.A. (4-12, 1-8 CCAA).
L.A.'s Charmaine Utz sunk a free throw with 9:16 left in the first half to cut the Wildcat lead to seven points, 21-14, but the Golden Eagles were unable to put the ball in the basket again in the half. Chico State went on a 25-0 run to end the period and left the court with a 46-14 halftime lead.
The Wildcats played steady throughout the game, never leading by less than 25 points in the second half. In the game, Chico recorded 16 points off fast breaks, compared to none by L.A. and the Wildcats dominated in the paint, with 38 points to L.A.'s 18.
Cal State L.A. struggled from the floor, shooting just 10 percent (4-10) in the first half. They were much improved in the second period, shooting 46 percent (13-28), but the deficit was too great to overcome. The Wildcats shot 49 percent (33-67) in the game and 50 percent in the first half.
Amber Simmons led the charge for the Wildcats with 17 points and 11 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Simmons also recorded a season-high five steals and four blocks. Haley Ford netted 18 points, including three three-pointers. Kim Abts had 15 points to go with her game-high nine assists and Lauren Himmelspach ended the game with 12 points.
Charmaine Utz recorded a double-double for Cal State L.A. with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Utz was a perfect 7-for-7 from the line. Stacia Stricker led all players with 15 rebounds and tallied eight points. Fatimah Stokley also ended the game in double digits with 12 points.
Chico State hosts Cal State Bakersfield tomorrow night at 6:00. Cal State L.A. travels to Stanislaus.
01/22/05
22nd-ranked Wildcats defeat Gators
SAN FRANCISCO - The 22nd ranked Chico State Wildcats defeated the San Francisco State Gators 93-66 on Saturday at SFSU's Main Gymnasium.
With the win, Chico ups its record to 12-3 overall, 6-2 in CCAA play. The Gators fall to 4-11 overall, 3-5 in the CCAA.
Chico State took a 16-5 lead early in the first half when Amber Simmons scored on a lay-up at the 15:21 mark. The Gators tied the game at 18-18 when they went on a 13-2 run over the next three minutes, but Chico State quickly answered back to take a 49-31 halftime lead.
The Wildcats, up 49-31 at halftime, built the lead to 31 (72-41) at the 10:06 mark and cruised the rest of the game.
Simmons led the way for Chico State with 19 points and 13 rebounds and was one of five Wildcats in double digits. Amy Van Hollebeke and Lauren Himmelspach each added 16 points, while Haley Ford had 14 points and Kim Abts chipped in 13.
Bianca Rayford scored a game-high 21 points to lead the way for SFSU. DeAnna added 15 points and dished out 6 assists for the Gators.
01/21/05
Seawolves stun Wildcats in overtime
ROHNERT PARK .- The Chico State women's basketball made up a 15-point halftime deficit to pull ahead at the end of the game, but the Sonoma State Seawolves pushed the game into overtime and came out on top, beating the Wildcats 97-87, to win their sixth straight game.
With the win, Sonoma State improves to 6-8, 5-2 CCAA while the Wildcats drop to 11-3, 5-2 CCAA.
The Seawolves led almost the entire way, pushing their lead to as much as fifteen in both the first and second halves. Midway through the second half, Chico slowly chip away at the lead. After a three-pointer by Amber Simmons with 2:39 to go cut the SSU lead to one, Chico took their
first lead since the 16:00 minute mark of the first half when Kim Abts nailed a three from the top of the key.
Trailing 82-81, Sonoma had one last opportunity in the final ten seconds. Maribel Ambriz drove toward the basket with :06 remaining and missed a shot, but was fouled as she rebounded her own shot. Ambriz missed the first, but hit the second to send the game to overtime.
SSU came out on fire, scoring the first nine points of the overtime period and holding the 'Cats to just 13 percent shooting in overtime. They never looked back and emerged with a ten-point victory.
All five starting Wildcats finished the game in double figures: Lauren Himmelspach 19, Simmoms 13, Abts 12, Miaja Panttaja, and Haley Ford, who ended the game with a double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds).
The Seawolves were led by Jessica Jennings's 24 points and Tara Whiteside's 23. Nichola Hester and Genny Anderson both posted double-doubles on the night scoring 11 points and pulling down 10 rebounds each.
01/20/05
Wildcat basketball teams in the rankings
Both the Chico State men's and women's basketball teams are ranked among the top five teams in the latest West Region polls.
The Wildcat women (11-2) are ranked second in the region behind Seattle Pacific (14-1) and jump up two spots to No. 22 in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA national poll. Other CCAA teams ranked in the regional poll include Cal State Bakersfield-4th, Cal State San Bernardino-5th, and Cal State Dominguez Hills-6th.
The Chico State men (9-4) are the highest ranked team from the CCAA, currently ranked fifth in the region behind Seattle Pacific (12-3), Alaska Fairbanks (11-4), Hawaii-Hilo (16-2), and Western Washington (11-3). Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State San Bernardino are ranked sixth and seventh, respectively.
01/15/05
Shirley assures Toros of huge upset
CHICO, Calif. – Karen Shirley buried the game-winning jumper with nine seconds remaining to lift the Cal State Dominguez Hills women's basketball team to a 73-71 victory over 24th-ranked Chico State Saturday night at Acker Gym. With the win, the Toros move into a first-place tie with Chico State atop the CCAA.
Kim Abts' potential game-winning 3-pointer clanged off the front iron and the Wildcats (11-2, 5-1 CCAA) absorbed their first CCAA loss of the season and snapped a five-game winning streak. It was the first loss for Chico State since losing to then No. 4 Seattle Pacific on Dec. 18.
Every Wildcat starter was charged with at least three turnovers as they committed a season-high 27 turnovers, which led directly to 17 Toro points. Dominguez Hills finished the game with 16 turnovers.
Tameka Blue led Dominguez Hills (7-5, 5-1 CCAA) with six steals, while Octavia Askew notched five steals. Freshman Alana Bailey led the Toros with 19 points and nine rebounds. Shirley finished with 11 points, but was 3-of-15 from the floor prior to her game-winning shot.
Haley Ford buoyed Chico State's offense with eight points, nine rebounds, and a career high six steals. Amber Simmons led the Wildcats with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting and also pulled down seven rebounds. Maija Panttaja finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.
01/14/05
24th-ranked Wildcats knock off 15th-ranked Pomona
CHICO, Calif. – Cal Poly Pomona entered Friday night's showdown with Chico State as the higher ranked team featuring the higher scoring superstar, but things didn't go the way it looked on paper. Behind Lauren Himmelspach's 26 point, five steal, and five assist performance, the 24th-ranked Chico State women's basketball team took the lead four minutes into the game and never trailed again in a 68-62 victory over 15th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona Friday night at Acker Gym.
The Wildcats, who improved to 11-1 overall and 5-0 in the CCAA, benefited from an outstanding defensive performance from Haley Ford. With Ford and freshman Audriana Spencer in her face all night long, Pomona's Candice Allen, the nation's leading scorer at 29.3 per game, was held to 19 points on 6-of-23 shooting. The Broncos fell to 8-4 overall and 3-2 in the CCAA.
The Wildcats shot 49-percent from the field, paced by Himmelspach (10-for-16) and Amber Simmons (9-for-15). Simmons finished with 21 points and seven rebounds. Kim Abts finished with 13 points and seven assists. Maija Panttaja led the team with eight rebounds.
Brandi Fletcher led all rebounders with nine to go along with 14 points. Natasha Reed chipped in 10 points.
Chico State led by as many as 13 points on two different occasions in the opening half as Himmelspach scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting for a 38-29 halftime score. The Wildcats built the advantage to 57-41 in the second half when Abts assisted on Himmelspach's fast-break layup at the 12:05 mark.
Cal Poly Pomona fought back at that point with a 9-0 run and stayed close over the last eight minutes. The Broncos cut the lead to 66-62 on an Allen layup with 1:29 remaining, but Himmelspach hit three-of-four free throws and Panttaja took a crucial charge to put the game away.
The Wildcats host Cal State Dominguez Hills Saturday night at 6 p.m. Pomona travels to Cal State Stanislaus.
01/11/05
Chico state's Kim Abts named 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 January 3-9.
Abts, a senior from Redding, earned the honor for the third time this season after leading the Wildcats to their best start in 28 years.
She averaged 12.5 points, 12.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals in leading the Wildcats to a pair of convincing wins over upper division foes Cal State San Bernardino (75-53, Jan. 7) and UC San Diego (93-66, Jan. 8).
Abts had 13 points, 12 assists, 5 boards and 2 steals against CSUSB, then scored 12 points, dished out another 12 assists and again hauled in 5 rebounds in the triumph over UCSD.
Chico, now 10-1 overall and the CCAA leader at 4-0, is off to its best start since 1977.
01/08/05
Wildcats win; off to best start since 1976-77 season
CHICO, Calif. – Haley Ford buried five 3-pointers early in the second half to spark a 56-27 run over the final 18 minutes as the Chico State women's basketball team defeated UC San Diego, 93-66, to move into sole possession of first place in the CCAA. The Wildcats, now 10-1 overall and 4-0 in the CCAA, are off to their best start since the 1976-77 season.
Chico State entered the evening in a three-way tie for first place with UC San Diego and Cal Poly Pomona. But the Wildcats handled the Tritons, who fell to 7-4 overall and 3-1 in the CCAA, and Cal Poly Pomona fell at Cal State Bakersfield.
The Wildcats looked to be in for a real battle for the first 25 minutes Saturday before Ford took over. She nailed consecutive treys to cap a 13-0 run that turned a 39-37 deficit into a 50-39 lead with 15:19 to play. Ford, who finished with a game-high 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, nailed three more treys over the next five minutes as Chico State put the game away.
Chico State point guard Kim Abts notched her ninth double-double in 11 games with 12 points and 12 assists. Lauren Himmelspach chipped in 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting and recorded three steals. Audriana Spencer hit 5-of-7 shots en route to 12 points. Amber Simmons tallied 11 points, nine rebounds, and blocked three shots before fouling out with four minutes left. Maija Panttaja pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with eight points.
Margaret Johnson paced UC San Diego with 22 points, 13 rebounds and three steals, and Stacy Gallagher-Bolton had 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. But the rest of the Tritons hit just 14-of-40 shots and 1-of-12 from three-point range.
Chico State hosts nationally ranked No. 18 Cal Poly Pomona next Friday and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday. Both games tip off at 6:00.
01/07/05
Wildcats get defensive against San Bernardino
CHICO, Calif. – Apparently, the Chico State women's basketball team has a good defense too. All the talk surrounding Friday night's showdown between 8-1 Chico State and 7-2 Cal State San Bernardino focused on the visiting Coyotes defense, which had allowed a CCAA-low 46.3 points per contest entering play. But it was Chico State's defense that made the difference, as the Wildcats held San Bernardino to 39-percent shooting and forced 22 turnovers in a 75-53 victory at Acker Gymnasium.
Lauren Himmelspach and Amber Simmons each grabbed four steals, while leading the Wildcats with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Simmons also pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds as Chico State improved to 9-1 overall and 3-0 in the CCAA. Kim Abts notched another double-double with 13 points and 12 assists.
Cal State San Bernardino fell to 7-3 and 1-2 in the CCAA. Leilani Tirona led the Coyotes with 12 points.
The Wildcats defense set the tone early, forcing 14 first-half turnovers en route to a 43-25 halftime advantage. The lead shrunk to 46-31 early on in the second half, but a Simmons layup and two Himmelspach free throws made it 50-31, and the Wildcats led by at least 17 points from that point on.
Chico State will host UC San Diego Saturday at 8 p.m., while Cal State San Bernardino will travel to face Cal State Stanislaus.
01/03/05
Chico State's Lauren Himmelspach named CCAA Player of the Week
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Chico State guard Lauren Himmelspach has been named the Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of December 27 through January 2.
Himmelspach, a junior from Chico, guided the Wildcats to the championship of the Cal State Stanislaus New Year's Classic last week by averaging 20.0 points, 5.0 steals and 4.0 rebounds to lead the Wildcats to 99-66 and 96-52 romps over St. Martin’s (Dec. 29) and Western Oregon (Dec. 30).
She had 21 points, 5 boards and 2 steals against St. Martin’s, then tallied 19 points and a team season-high 8 steals against Western Oregon.
12/30/04
Wildcats win two in Turlock
TURLOCK, Calif. - In what was billed as a showdown between two of the top teams in the Western Region, the Chico State women's basketball team handed St. Martin's just its second loss of the season in convincing fashion, 99-66, Wednesday night in the opening round of the Stanislaus New Year's Classic. The Wildcats then pounded Western Oregon 96-52 Thursday night in their final non-conference game of the regular season.
Chico State improved to 8-1 with the victories. St. Martin's, which rebounded from its loss to Chico State to defeat Cal State Stanislaus 87-82 Thursday, is now 7-2. Western Oregon, which dropped its tournament opener to Stanislaus, is now 3-3.
The Wildcats' showdown with St. Martin's was decided early as Chico State led by as many as 34 points in the first half. Haley Ford led all scorers with 25 points thanks to 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. Kim Abts tallied 12 points and 12 assists. Lauren Himmelspach finished with 21 points. Maija Panttaja chipped in 10 points and 12 rebounds, and Kara Scheitlin notched 12 points.
Against Western Oregon, Himmelspach had eight of Chico State's 21 steals and the Wolves turned the ball over 30 times. Himmelspach also scored 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Audriana Spencer led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and the Wildcats shot 54-percent as a team. Abts notched another double-double with 18 points and 13 assists. Ford pulled down 13 rebounds to go along with her 10 points. Scheitlin chipped in 12 points, Panttaja grabbed 10 rebounds, and Amy Van Hollebeke dished out five assists in her 21 minutes of action.
12/18/04
No. 4 Seattle Pacific escapes Chico State with win
CHICO, Calif. – The Chico State women's basketball team is as good as advertised. The Wildcats just aren't undefeated any more. Chico State led No. 4 Seattle Pacific University for the game's first 30 minutes, but the Falcons used their big-game experience to take control down the stretch and pull out an 89-81 win in front of 801 fans at Acker Gymnasium Saturday night.
They hit the big shots down the stretch and we just didn't, said Chico State Head Coach Lynne DeYoung, an SPU alum. They just beat us in the second half, especially on the boards.
Seattle Pacific outrebounded the Wildcats 28-21 in the second half and pulled down 12 offensive rebounds in the period. The Falcons have now won 68 of their last 69 regular season games and improved to 8-1 on the season. Amy Taylor led six Falcons in double-figures with 18 points. Brittney Kroon notched 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Chico State dropped to 6-1 despite Kim Abts' school and CCAA record 17 assists. She broke the school record and tied the CCAA record in her last outing with 16 assists. Amber Simmons paced with Wildcats with 22 points and also pulled down 11 rebounds. Haley Ford finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
I thought we were soft in the first half, so I was pleased we got a lot tougher in the second half, said Seattle Pacific Head Coach Gordy Presnell.
Chico State controlled the first half. The Wildcats led by as many as 10 points before intermission and took a 43-37 advantage into the half. Seattle Pacific picked away at the lead and actually pulled even on three separate occasions before taking a 66-64 lead on a pair of Michelle Beaumont free throws with 9:20 remaining. It was a lead the Falcons would not relinquish.
The Wildcats cut the lead to 76-75 on Simmon's layup with 4:43 to play, but Seattle Pacific responded with a 7-0 run, punctuated by Taylor's 3-pointer to gain its biggest lead of the night, 83-75. Chico State got as close a 83-80 after Ford's 3-pointer on Abts' 17th assist at the 2:11 mark, but the Wildcats missed their last five shots.
Chico State will be back in action in the CCAA/GNAC challenge hosted by Cal State Stanislaus Dec. 29-30.
12/13/04
Wildcats host 4th-ranked Seattle Pacific Saturday
Donate a gift to Toys for Tots and get in free!
CHICO, Calif. - In perhaps the most anticipated home women's basketball game in recent history, the unbeaten Chico State women's basketball team will play host to 4th-ranked Seattle Pacific University Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Acker Gymnasium. Anyone who donates an unopened toy to Toys for Tots will get in free. The promotion is a culmination of an effort between Chico State athletics and Results Radio to make this Christmas a merry one for north state children.
The game will not only feature arguably the two best teams in the west and two of the highest scoring teams in the nation, but also a chance for Wildcats head coach Lynne DeYoung to earn her first victory over her alma mater. The high-powered Wildcats enter the week unranked despite a 6-0 record. Seattle Pacific, meanwhile, is the No. 4 team in the nation.
Chico State features one of the nation's most explosive offenses, averaging 100 points per game. It's led by the CCAA's all-time leader in assists, Kim Abts, who is averaging 19.8 points and 10.5 assists per game. Pleasant Valley High School and Butte College product Lauren Himmelspach leads the team in scoring (24.5 ppg) and steals (3.50 ppg). Amber Simmons, a true freshman from Chico High School, leads the conference with 11.2 rebounds per game and is also scoring 15.8 points per game.
Seattle Pacific will bring a record of 7-1 and a streak in which the Falcons have won 67 of their last 68 regular season games into Acker Gymnasium. They've qualified for the NCAA Tournament nine of the past 10 seasons, and finished the 2003-04 campaign ranked No. 3 in the nation. The Falcons are led by 6-foot-4 center Brittney Kroon, who is averaging 9.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks per game.
12/13/04
Abts shares CCAA Player of the Week honors
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Chico State guard Kim Abts and Cal Poly Pomona guard Candice Allen have been named Wilson California Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Co-Players of the Week for the week of December 6-12. Abts, a senior from Redding, led the Wildcats to a 3-0 week and earned a tournament most valuable player honor after Chico claimed the championship of the Humboldt State North Coast Inn Classic.
She opened the week with 19 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in the Wildcats’ 113-64 CCAA win at Cal State Stanislaus. Two days later, Abts scored a game-high 25 points and added 4 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals to power Chico to a 77-65 win over Montana State-Billings in the opening game of the Humboldt tournament. Abts closed the week with 11 points, a school-record 16 assists, 5 rebounds and a steal to lead Chico to a 95-74 win over HSU in the tournament title game. The 16-assist effort ties the CCAA single-game mark set by Cal State L.A.’s Megan Glaister (1984) and Cal State San Bernardino’s Tammie Beckley (1994).
For the week, Abts averaged 18.3 points, 9.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals over three games. The CCAA all-time assists leader, Abts surpassed 500 for her career over the weekend and currently has 509.
Allen, a senior from Ontario, earned the honor for the second consecutive week after leading the Broncos to wins over Northwest Nazarene (84-76, Dec. 10) and 9th-ranked Glenville State (81-75, Dec. 11) at the Cal State Bakersfield Classic Western Shootout. She scored a game-high 32 points, including the Broncos’ last 14 of the game, and added 3 steals, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in the win over Northwest Nazarene. The following night, Allen broke the CCAA single-game school record with 50 points in Poly’s victory over Glenville. She shot 57.1 percent from the field (16-28), and hit 16 of 19 free-throw attempts in 38 minutes played. Allen also grabbed 9 rebounds and added 2 steals and 2 assists.
For the week, Allen averaged 41.0 points on 54.7 percent shooting (29-53) and 84.6 percent from the foul line (22-26). She also averaged 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists as the Broncos improved to 6-0 on the season.
12/11/04
Abts dishes out record-setting 16 assists in victory
HUMBOLDT, Calif. - Entering Saturday night's contest at Humboldt State, Chico State point guard Kim Abts held the school's single-season and career assists records. The single-game mark was the only one which didn't belong to her. Now it does. Abts dished out a Chico State record 16 assists and added 11 points as the Wildcats claimed the North Coast Inn Classic women's basketball tournament title with a 95-74 victory over host Humboldt State Saturday night.
Abts was named the tournament's MVP. She was joined on that squad by teammates Lauren Himmelspach and Amber Simmons, who also shined Saturday night. Himmelspach scored a season-high 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting to lead all scorers, while Simmons notched her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Chico State, which also benefitted from seven combined 3-pointers by Haley Ford (4-6) and Audriana Spencer (3-7), improved to 6-0 with the victory. Humboldt State fell to 3-5. The Lumberjacks were paced by Nicole Lynch's 29 points and nine rebounds.
Chico State will be back home Saturday night for a huge regional shodown with Seattle Pacific University, which enters the week ranked No. 5 nationally. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
12/10/04
Abts helps keep 'Cats unbeaten with 25 points
HUMBOLDT, Calif. - As the undefeated Chico State women's basketball team stared down its toughest challenge of the early season, senior Kim Abts picked her teammates up by scoring 19 of her game-high 25 points in the second half to lift the Wildcats to a 77-65 victory over Montana State Billings in the opening game of the North Coast Inn Classic women's basketball tournament Friday night.
Chico State's defense forced the Yellowjackets into 26 turnovers, as the Wildcats improved to 5-0 while MSUB fell to 4-2 on the season. The Wildcats also gained a large advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the much taller Yellowjackets 42-33.
Chico State quickly expanded a small halftime lead to 15 points with a 13-4 run to begin the second half. The Yellowjackets pulled within seven again on Michelle Lieber's layup with 12:55 to play, but a three-pointer by Abts pushed the margin back to 10.
Also in double figures for Chico State were Lauren Himmelspach with 19 points, and Amber Simmons and Haley Ford with 10 each. Ford also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds for Chico State, which will take on tournament host Humboldt State Saturday night at 6 p.m.
12/08/04
Explosive Wildcats too much for Stanislaus
TURLOCK, Calif. - The Chico State women's basketball team reached the century mark for the third time in four games with a 113-64 victory over host Cal State Stanislaus Wednesday night.
Amber Simmons scored 20 points and pulled down 16 rebounds as Chico State improved to 4-0. Lauren Himmelspach led Chico State with 27 points. Audriana Spencer chipped in 21 points thanks to five 3-pointers, and Kim Abts added 19 points and nine assists for the Wildcats, who are averaging 106.5 points per contest.
Gwendolyn Page and Lindsie LeFort led Stanislaus (1-4, 1-1 CCAA) with 15 points apiece.
Chico State will play two games at the Humboldt State Tournament this weekend before returning home to face 5th-ranked Seattle Pacific Saturday, Dec. 18.
12/03/04
Wildcats hit century mark again in CCAA opener
SEASIDE, Calif. - The Chico State women's basketball team gave host Cal State Monterey Bay a taste of CCAA basketball Friday night by pounding the Otters 110-69 in their inaugural CCAA affair. Chico State, now 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the CCAA, got 25 points and 12 assists from Kim Abts, and a game-high 26 points from Lauren Himmelspach.
The Wildcats, who opened up a 52-25 lead by intermission, scored the second most points in the program's history. They broke the old record of 108 points by putting up 120 in their season opener. They're currently averaging 104.3 points per game.
Chico State's Maija Panttaja put together the first double-double of her career with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Kara Scheitlin added a season-high 18 points, and true freshman Amy Van Hollebeke chipped in 10 points.
Monterey Bay, which was led by Tes Soracco's 15 points, fell to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in the CCAA.
11/30/04
Tight battle predicted for CCAA women's basketball title
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- California Collegiate Athletic Association women’s basketball head coaches expect the race for the 2004-05 CCAA Championship to come down to the wire.
A preseason poll of the coaches gives two-time defending league champion Cal State Bakersfield a razor-thin nod to three-peat over perennial power Cal Poly Pomona and a surging Chico State program. The Roadrunners return three starters from last season’s squad that 23-6 overall and 18-4 in the CCAA. Bakersfield has earned an NCAA playoff berth all four years of its program’s existence.
After winning three straight league titles from 2000-02, and two NCAA Division II Championships during that span, Pomona enters the season looking for its 19th CCAA Championship all-time. The Broncos also return three starters, including reigning CCAA Player of the Year Candice Allen.
Chico returns two starters off its 2004 squad that finished 17-11 and reached the NCAA postseason. The Wildcats received a league-high four first place votes. Additional playoff teams from a year ago, Sonoma State and UC San Diego, are expected to again finish in the upper division.
TEAM (First place votes) Points
1. Cal State Bakersfield (3) 82
2. Cal Poly Pomona (3) 81
3. Chico State (4) 79
4. Sonoma State 65
5. UC San Diego 55
6. Cal State Dominguez Hills 51
7. Cal State San Bernardino 42
8. Cal State Stanislaus 38
9. Cal State L.A. 26
10. San Francisco State 21
11. (i) CSU Monterey Bay 10
(i) Ineligible for CCAA Championship
11/23/04
Chico state's Kim Abts named 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 November 15-21.
Abts, a 5-7 senior from Redding, earned Most Valuable Player honors in leading the Wildcats to the tournament championship of their own Wittmeier Coslet Classic. Additionally, she became the CCAA all-time assists leader, breaking a 16-year-old record held by Cal Poly Pomona alum Paula Tezak.
She averaged 19.5 points, 11.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in wins over Western New Mexico (Nov. 19) and Humboldt State (Nov. 20).
Abts tallied 16 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in a 120-69 romp over WNMU, then had 23 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals in a decisive 83-60 triumph over Humboldt.
Abts’ career assists total now stands at 468.
11/20/04
Chico state defense too much for Humboldt State
CHICO, Calif. - Forty minutes of tenacious defense by the Chico State women's basketball team proved too much for Humboldt State to handle. The host Wildcats forced 31 turnovers and claimed the title of the 32nd Coslet Classic with an 83-60 victory against the Lumberjacks Saturday night.
In the night's opening game, Western New Mexico bested San Francisco State 76-66.
Chico State, now 2-0, converted those turnovers into 35 points. Lauren Himmelspach led the way for the Wildcats with 25 points and a team-high four steals. Classic MVP Kim Abts notched her second straight double-double with 23 points and 11 assists, as did true freshman Amber Simmons (16 points and 11 rebounds). Simmons and Himmelspach earned All-Tournament honors.
Humboldt State stayed within striking distance until the closing minutes in Head Coach Joddie Gleason's return to Chico State where she played as a collegiate. She was a two-time All-American and remains the second-leading scorer in Wildcats history. Nevertheless, she watched an eight point deficit with 7:32 remaining swell to 23 as Chico State closed with a 20-5 run.
All-Tournament selection Nicole Lynch paced the Lumberjacks (1-1) with 26 points. Jenna Washington grabbed 12 rebounds, but shot just 1-of-12.
Western New Mexico 76, San Francisco State 66
All-Tournament selection Melanie Cleusix scored a game-high 35 points to lead the Mustangs to victory. Natalie Lara chipped in 15 points as Western New Mexico improved to 1-1.
Leslie Miller and Bianca Rayford led San Francisco State (1-2) with 16 points apiece, and Farryn Lewis added 12.
Cluesix scored three baskets and dished out an assist as Western New Mexico turned a 22-19 halftime deficit into a 32-22 lead in the opening three minutes of the second half. It was a lead the Mustangs would not surrender.
11/19/04
Chico state women enjoy record-setting season opener at Coslet Classic
CHICO, Calif. - If expectations weren't already high enough for the Chico State women's basketball team, they probably are now. The Wildcats set school records for points and assists in a game as Kim Abts broke the CCAA career assists record, and Chico State hammered visiting Western New Mexico University 120-69 in the Wittmeier Coslet Classic Friday night at Acker Gymnasium.
In the night's opening game, former Chico State standout Joddie Gleason got a win in her first game as Humboldt State's head coach, 63-52 over San Francisco State.
Abts dished out 11 of the Wildcats' 31 assists, and sophomore Haley Ford scored a career-high 30 points as the Wildcats won going away. True freshman Amber Simmons scored 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in her first collegiate game. Lauren Himmelspach poured in 19 points, dished out five assists, and grabbed five steals. Abts scored 16 points to go along with her 11 assists.
Natalie Lara and Tamara Goodliffe paced Western New Mexico with 11 points apiece. It was the season opener for both teams.
Chico State opened the season with exhibition victories against Division I programs University of Pacific and Nevada-Reno, raising expectations around the University. The fans weren't disappointed as the Wildcats scored the game's first nine points and never looked back. The lead grew as large as 35 on three separate occasions in the first half, much to the delight of the 887 fans in attendance.
Chico State will face Humboldt State for the Coslet Classic title Saturday at 7 p.m. Western New Mexico will take on San Francisco State at 5 p.m.
Humboldt State 63, San Francisco State 52
The transition from the junior college to the NCAA ranks started well for Humboldt State head coach Joddie Gleason and JC transfer Kelly Fay. Gleason, the former Chico State standout, was coaching her first game for the Lumberjacks. Fay notched 11 points and 11 rebounds in the second half to break open a halftime tie and lead Humboldt State to victory in its season opener.
Fay finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds as Humboldt State improved to 1-0. Jenna Washington chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds. Nicole Lynch finished with 15 points.
Bianca Rayford led San Francisco State (1-1) with 13 points and seven rebounds.
11/19/04
Women's Basketball Announces Three Signings
CHICO, Calif. — They are all used to winning, and Chico State women's basketball coach Lynne DeYoung plans to keep it that way. DeYoung recently announced that high school seniors Cory Edwards, Jackie George, and Teresa Karcher have signed National Letters of Intent to enroll at Chico State in the fall of 2005.
Edwards, a 6-1 forward, led her Buena High School (Ventura) team to a 22-7 record and the Southern Section Division II semifinals last season. George led her Leland High School (San Jose) team to a 20-6 campaign and a berth in the Central Section Division II semifinals. And Karcher led Rosary High School (Fullerton) to a 24-5 mark and the Southern Section finals.
I'm very excited about this early recruiting class, said DeYoung. These players are all athletic, competitive, and they know how to win. All three have been well coached and conditioned to succeed. They're all expecting to contribute and build on our success here at Chico State.
Edwards, recently rated sixth among all Southern California players on SoCalHoops.com, was a First Team All League selection as a sophomore and junior. She was named to the All-South Section Second Team last season as a junior. And she earned All-Ventura County Team honors.
Cory is extremely athletic and will fit in perfectly to our up-tempo style of play, said DeYoung. She has the ability to play on the wing or in the paint, and I anticipate her stepping in and contributing as a freshman next season.
George is a 6-2 forward who averaged 15 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a junior last season. She is the two-time MVP of the Mt. Hamilton League and was the Freshman of the Year before that.
Jackie is very athletic, long, and can run the floor, said DeYoung. She's had great success as a prep and has tremendous potential at the next level.
Karcher, a 5-9 shooting guard, has only been on the losing end of nine games during three high school seasons. She averaged 11.2 points per game as a junior, thanks mostly to a sweet touch from 3-point range.
Teresa is a great 3-point shooter and a tough competitor, said DeYoung. She will be an immediate threat from the outside for us.
11/13/04
Wildcats beat another D-I opponent
Reno, Nev. - The University of Nevada became the second consecutive Division I victim of the Chico State women’s basketball team when the Wildcats beat the Wolf Pack 81-76 at Lawlor Events Center. Chico State knocked off Pacific in its opener last Saturday before taking out Nevada in its final warmup before regular season play kicks off at home this weekend with the Coslet Classic.
Lauren Himmelspach poured in a game-high 27 points and added four steals to lead Chico State. Kim Abts totaled 25 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Haley Ford chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds. Amber Simmons wound up just shy of her second straight double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. And Maija Panttaja led the Wildcats with 11 rebounds and also dished out five assists.
Chico State opens the regular season with the Coslet Classic, beginning Friday. The Wildcats will face Western New Mexico at 7 p.m. They’ll take on Humboldt State Saturday night at 7 p.m.
11/06/04
Wildcats beat Division I UOP in exhibition opener
True freshman Simmons records double-double in first collegiate game
STOCKTON, Calif. – True freshman Amber Simmons scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and the Chico State women's basketball team opened its exhibition season with an impressive 76-66 victory at University of Pacific Saturday night.
The Wildcats led by as many as 19 points in the second half. Lauren Himmelspach sparked an early second-half run that gave them the lead for good. Himmelspach, a transfer from Portland University, scored all 12 of her points in the second half and also grabbed a team-high four steals.
It wasn't only the newcomers who made big contributions to the victory, though true freshman Audriana Spencer added seven points, four rebounds, and a pair of steals. Sophomore returner Haley Ford finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and two steals. Senior point guard Kim Abts notched eight points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Sophomore Alex Jackson contributed 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in limited minutes. And senior Maija Panttaja notched eight rebounds.
UOP, picked by Big West coaches to finish fourth in that conference, got 12 points and eight rebounds from Paradise and Butte College graduate Carolina Ruiz.
Chico State will play one more exhibition game, Saturday night at Nevada Reno, before opening the regular season at home in the Coslet Classic Nov. 19-20.
04/21/04
Local talent abundant in 2004 recruiting class
Chico High's Simmons and Spencer, PV grad Himmelspach coming
CHICO, CA – Chico State head women's basketball coach Lynne DeYoung has announced that Chico High School's Audriana Spencer and Carlsbad High School's Amy VanHollebeke have signed National Letters of Intent, and Pleasant Valley High School product Lauren Himmelspach is transferring to Chico State from the University of Portland.
That trio joins early signee Amber Simmons, Spencer's teammate at Chico High School, as the Wildcats' 2004 recruiting class.
I'm very excited about this year's recruiting class, said DeYoung. Each player has had impressive success prior to joining our program, and I anticipate that they will continue to achieve while playing here at Chico State.
Spencer and Simmons led Chico High deep into the state playoffs this season. Simmons finished as the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. Spencer is the school's all-time assist leader and ranks third on the all-time scoring list. Simmons was an All-State selection and both players earned First-Team All-Section honors. The 5-foot-9 Spencer averaged 17.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game, while Simmons, 6-0, averaged 18.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
Audriana will give us depth at our wing position, said DeYoung. She has the ability to score points on the break, sees the whole court well, and is a great passer.
VanHollebeke, a 5-7 point guard, is Carlsbad High School's all-time leader in points, steals, and 3-pointers. As a senior, she averaged 19.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.1 steals per game. She led the North County with 77 3-pointers and earned First-Team All-San Diego, All-North County, and All-Avacado League honors.
Amy is a very solid and competitive point guard, said DeYoung. She has the ability to finish around the basket and also shoot the three extremely well, which makes her very difficult to defend.
Himmelspach was the Northern Section Player of the Year as a senior at Pleasant Valley High School and the Northern California Junior College Player of the Year as a freshman at Butte College before transferring to the University of Portland where she spent last season. There, the 5-10 guard averaged 10.9 points and 1.6 steals per game.
We are very excited that Lauren has decided to come to Chico State, said DeYoung. She's athletic, fast, and has a tremendous knack for getting to the free throw line. She will bring experience and a toughness that we need.
The four newcomers will join seven returners from last year's 17-10 team that earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. The Wildcats will open the 2004-05 season at home against Humboldt State University, Nov. 19.