ARCATA — Finally shaking free of the Lumberjacks in the final three minutes, Chico State earned a 72-61 win over Humboldt State on Saturday.
One of three Chico seniors honored before the game, Melissa Richardson scored 23 points to help the Wildcats pull even with the Jacks in third place in the CCAA standings at 14-6. HSU fell to 16-8 overall while Chico State improved to 17-8.
Andrea Bobic scored 20 points to lead the Lumberjacks, who fell for the second time on the weekend roadtrip. Paige Peterson was the only HSU player in double figures, scoring 10 points.
Following an early outburst that gave the Wildcats an eight-point lead, the game was much tighter throughout. The teams traded baskets and leads for the remainder of the first half and much of the second.
Humboldt State gained its first lead of the game at 20-19 on a long 3-pointer from Bobic that just beat the shot clock. The Jacks and Wildcats continued the shootout, Katie Girten getting in on the action when her 3-pointer put Chico State ahead, 22-21.
Chico pulled ahead by five, but a Bobic three from the corner tied it again at 38-38. That's when Richardson took over, stringing together three driving layups, including a coast-to-coast effort following a steal, to push the Chico lead to 34-28.
Humboldt State's efforts from long range, and its rebounding, helped balance out the 16 turnovers the Jacks were guilty of in the opening half. At the break, the Jacks trailed by only two, 38-36, thanks to Bobic's 15 points.
Lisa Petty picked up where here teammates had left off as the second half began, draining two 3-pointers to give HSU a 46-45 lead. Again, the Wildcats eased ahead, extending the cushion to 57-52 on Richardson's cut to the basket.
The Jacks committed 29 turnovers, providing extra opportunities for the Wildcats. Chico State gave the ball up only 16 times, and edged the Jacks in rebounding, 34-33.
Humboldt State is back on the road again this week, finishing its CCAA regular season schedule with a Wednesday game at Cal State East Bay and Friday contest at UC San Diego.
