SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. ? The UC San Diego women's basketball team (24-9) fell in the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship game to No. 18 Chico State 69-63 on Saturday evening. The Tritons took a five-point halftime lead and led for the majority of the second-half. CSUC did not take the lead until a bucket with 3:01 remaining. Down by three-points, UCSD had a chance to tie but a missed three-pointer with :35 left and the Wildcats converted free-throws to take the win. The Wildcats (27-5) secured the conferences automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The Tritons are expected to be part of the eight-team NCAA West Region, which will be announced on Sunday night. There is a good chance that the site will be Seattle Pacfic University, ranked second in the nation. The site will also be announced with the field.
Meaghan Noud and Michelle Osier were both selected to the CCAA All-Tournament team. Osier finished the game with 14 points and five rebounds, while Noud added 21 points.
Annette Ilg poured in a career-high 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting off the Triton bench in just eight minutes of action.
Chico State trailed by seven points at 56-49 with 6:36 remaining before going on a 10-3 run and tying the score 59-59 on a three-pointer by Melissa Richardson with 3:40 remaining. Richardson gave the Wildcats their first lead of the second half on a three-point basket that made the score 62-61 with 3:01 remaining.
Over the final 3:40, Chico State out-scored UC San Diego 10-3 as the Tritons made just one field goal the remainder of the contest.
"In the closing minutes, I knew their big players had four fouls each, so we went after them ... those last five minutes, I tell you, could have gone either way. It came down to a couple of plays," Head Coach Charity Elliott.
"I'm proud of our whole team and the effort they put out there tonight," Elliott said. "They competed for 40 minutes and I can't ask for more than that. "We had two really good game this weekend but now I think our players are going to take what they learned from this to Seattle and from there we'll start all over again," Elliott said.
Chico State, playing without injured All-CCAA senior guard/forward Audriana Spencer, finished the game with five players in double figures. Junior center Renee Goldoff topped the Wildcats with 15 points. Christine Vest finished with 14, Natasha Smith added 12 points, while Smith-Williams and Richardson added 11 each.
UCSD enters the NCAA Tournament having won eight of its last 10 games.
