The Chico State women’s basketball team is set to head to the playoffs, seeded 4th in the six-team tournament. With that, they will face off against Cal State University Dominguez Hills in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in Kellogg Arena. 

The ’Cats ended conference play with a record of 15-7, leaving them with a fourth-place regular season finish.

The California Collegiate Athletic Association first hosted the women’s basketball championship tournament in 1986, with Cal Poly Pomona as the winner. The championship in 2008 marks the latest and only time that Chico State has ever won the CCAA tournament. 

With their impressive 19-9 season and solid postseason seeding, the ’Cats have a real chance at reclaiming the title. They were undefeated in CCAA play until Jan. 22, holding a nine-game win streak during that time. Their streak was snapped by #7-ranked Pomona, who edged out the ’Cats in a thrilling 62-59 game.

While the ’Cats have had their tournament spot clinched for some time, they have run into some struggles since then. Since the Pomona loss, they have lost five of their last nine games, including a second loss to the Broncos. 

A main factor of the rough patch is the loss of senior forward and leading scorer Meadow Aragon. Averaging 15 points per game, Aragon was a driving factor for the ’Cats offense. Unfortunately, Aragon suffered a season-ending knee injury after the ’Cats won against Cal Poly Humboldt on Jan. 17, leaving them with an offensive gap to fill. 

With this, ’Cats have been finding ways to win games, between lockdown defense and other players stepping up on the offensive side, they still have high expectations for the tournament. 

The ’Cats will have a send-off on Tuesday at 12:45 p.m., outside of Acker Gym as their bus leaves for the tournament.

For information about all Chico State athletics or to keep up with the game live, visit the Wildcat home page, or watch through FloSports. 

Aiyana Curry can be reached at [email protected]