SEATTLE – With 10:04 left to play the Humboldt State women’s basketball team had a 62-50 lead, but Chico State went on an 18-3 run over the next four minutes to propel them to a 86-76 win in the NCAA Division II women’s basketball West Regional semifinals in the Royal Brougham Pavilion on the campus of Seattle Pacific University.
Box Score
The Wildcats (23-9) had four players in double figures. Melissa Richardson led the team with 21 points, Christine Vest and Natasha Smith each had 15 and Synchro Bull added 14. Chico State will play either Seattle Pacific or Alaska Anchorage in the final on Monday.
The Jacks (20-11) were led by Andrea Bobic, who had a career high 28 points. Brittney Taylor added 14.
Bobic hit three 3-pointer which moved her into first place on the program’s single season list. She finished the year with 82 total threes and moved into third place on the school’s all-time 3-point list with 139.
Taylor finished her career with 1,294 points, second all-time. Her 568 point in 2009-10 rank first on the schools single-season list.
“Our coaches told us that this loss would hurt for a couple of days,” Taylor said. “But I have had so many good things happen to me as a part of this team and I am proud of everyone in that locker room. I am more proud to have lost with this group than I would have been to win with any other.”
Paige Peterson and Luiza Osborne also finished their Lumberjack careers this evening. Peterson finished fourth on the school’s career assist list with 280 and her 118 assists this season tied her previous high for ninth on the single season list.
The Lumberjacks, down 37-36 at halftime, surged in front early in the second half and stretched their lead all the way to 62-50 with just over 10 minutes left to play.
But the Wildcats gradually worked their way back in, climbing into a 62-62 tie on a pair of free throws by Smith with eight minutes left. A lay-in by Vest snapped a 74-74 tie and put Chico State back in front for good at 76-74 with 3:05 remaining.
“Chico came down and made plays and got to the free throw line,” head coach joddie Gleason. “Synchro (Bull) and Natasha (Smith) were real tough to guard off the dribble. They penetrated and set up (Melissa) Richardson and (Courtney) Harrison, and they stuck it.”
The back-and-forth game had 11 ties and 20 lead changes.
Chico State had a 43-32 advantage on the boards, led by Smith’s eight. Bobic had nine rebounds for Humboldt State.
The Wildcats shot 46.2 percent for the game (30-of-65), and Humboldt State hit 43.9 percent (29-of-66).
“We wouldn’t have been here without our four seniors,” Gleason added, The reason our program has turned around is because of them. We have had two 20-win seasons and been the semifinal of the Region twice. Every year you have to go through this. You lose seniors, but I think our younger players have gotten valuable experience by being here and by playing with these (girls).”