BOX SCORE #14 Chico State 70, Sonoma State 48 -- Box Score
CHICO, Calif. -- Bronte Sheahan came off the bench to score a team-leading 10 points, but the Sonoma State women's basketball team, who trailed by just four points 10 seconds into the second half, surrendered an 18-6 run to 14th-ranked Chico State over the next six minutes and could never regain its momentum, falling 70-48 on Friday night at Acker Gymnasium in Chico.
The Seawolves fall below .500 at 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the CCAA, as the Wildcats remain unblemished this season, rising to 9-0 and 5-0 in conference action.
Sonoma returned to Chico on Friday several weeks after knocking off then-sixth-ranked Western Washington on the Acker Gym floor, hoping to do the same to another nationally-ranked squad. The Seawolves held their own, using a balanced combination of stifling defense and strong offensive possessions to keep the Wildcats in view for much of the first half.
A three-pointer by
Taylor Vigil at the 15:37 mark of the opening period gave the visitors an early 5-2, but a three-ball by Chico's Jazmine Miller on the ensuing Wildcat possession knotted the game at five. Both teams would trade baskets, but the hosts began to pull away, leading by as much as nine points on a pair of occasions, the last being a 27-18 score with 2:58 left in the first.
Vigil and
Brianna Burgos engineered a 6-0 run over the next minute and a half, but a three-pointer by Chico's Annie Ward pushed the hosts' lead to six points at 30-24 heading into the locker room at halftime.
To open the second half,
Elizabeth Day converted a layup on the first possession for either team to cut Sonoma State's deficit to just four, but Chico State showed why it remains undefeated and ranked in the national poll. An 18-6 run put the Wildcats up 48-32 and the Seawolves were never able to cut the deficit to single digits the rest of the way as Chico State cruised to the eventual 22-point victory.
Sheahan led the Seawolves with 10 points, adding five rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. Day added eight points and three boards, Burgos chipped in with seven points and Vigil recorded six points and six rebounds. As a team, SSU connected on just 32.1 percent from the floor (17-53), including just 1-for-11 from beyond the three-point arc.
Chico State's Miller dropped in a game-high 19 points on 8-of-13 from the hardwood, followed by 10 points out of the hands of McKenzie Dalthorp. The Wildcats hit on 39.4 percent of their shots (28-71) and drained seven three-pointers while outrebounding the Seawolves, 46-38.
Sonoma State will head south to Turlock on Saturday to face Cal State Stanislaus (1-9, 0-5 CCAA) at Fitzpatrick Arena. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
