The Chico State women’s basketball team extended their win streak to five games Saturday afternoon with a 77-54 win over the Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks. Senior forward Makenzi Laporte led the charge for the Wildcats, scoring 13 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter.
“In the first half, my shot was off, and nothing was falling, but everyone kept telling me to shoot, and everyone gave me confidence, and that’s huge with this team,” Laporte said.
With the win, the Wildcats improved to 8-1 on the year and 4-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Chico State is currently tied for first in the conference standings alongside Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills.
“We have a lot of confidence,” Laporte said. “We try not to take any team lightly, no matter their record, and we treat every game like it’s a playoff game.”
Senior guard Jadence Clifton recorded her first career double-double, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds. She played for the Lumberjacks in the 2021-22 season, making this revenge game even sweeter.
“Anyone can go off on any night, and teams have to respect that, so we’re pretty confident in ourselves,” senior forward Meadow Aragon said.
Aragon is currently the conference’s most efficient scorer, converting at a 67% clip on the season. Aragon backed those numbers up with another near-perfect performance, going 8 of 9 from the field totaling 16 points. Senior guard Jordan Allred also showed off the Wildcats’ depth, adding 17 points and a career-high seven assists.
“I think I’m so efficient because my teammates get me the ball when I’m open, and they set me up for success,” Aragon said. “Then, when I don’t have a shot, I pass it out because I trust them to take the shot, so I think I give the credit to my teammates.”
The Wildcats went into halftime holding onto a seven-point lead after only scoring six points in the previous quarter. However, in the second half, Chico State outscored Humboldt 44-28, guiding them to their fourth 20-point win of the year.
The Wildcats’ next and final game of 2024 will take place after finals week on Saturday at Acker Gymnasium against future CCAA opponents UC Merced. Home games are free to attend for students who present their student ID or Canvas home page.
For information about all Chico State athletics or to keep up with the game live, visit the Wildcat home page, or watch through FloSports.
Lukas Mann can be reached at [email protected].
