The Chico State women’s basketball team’s reappearance in the fourth quarter couldn’t save the team from suffering a loss in its conference opener Dec. 1 against UC San Diego.
The game between the Tritons and Wildcats stayed close until the third quarter, as Chico State scored just nine points while UC San Diego expanded a 33-29 lead by scoring 16. The seven-point scoring difference in the quarter was caused by Wildcat turnovers and missed shots.
Chico State made only one of 13 three-point attempts in the second half and shot 26 percent from the field. The Wildcats had a rebounding advantage of four and committed only one additional turnover compared to the Tritons but UC San Diego’s lead continued to grow.
The Wildcats began their comeback in the fourth quarter, with a 17 point performance while holding the Tritons to just nine. Junior guard Whitney Branham led Chico State back into the game with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Branham sank two deep shots from outside and made all eight attempts from the charity stripe. Junior forward Jo Paine made eight shots from the free throw line and scored a season-high 16 points to assist Branham in gaining momentum.
The late surge of offense closed the gap to 55-58, but Chico State could not complete the comeback.
Key Players
Whitney Branham
- 20 Points
- 10 Rebounds
- 4 Assists
- 3 Steals
Jo Paine
- 16 Points
- 5 Rebounds
- 1 Block
- 2 Steals
Tyler Prange
- 5 Points
- 4 Rebounds
- 1 Assist
Cydney Nance can be reached at [email protected] or @CydneyNa on Twitter.
