Zipporah Chase Tallies Double-Double but Visiting Chico State Comes Away With 67-58 Victory
Carson HS alum tops Toros with 17 rebounds and 16 points
January 31, 2004

Carson, CA -- Cal State Dominguez Hills sophomore Zipporah Chase (Los Angeles, CA/Carson HS) tallied a game-high 17 rebounds and tied for team-high honors with 16 points, but visiting Chico State used four Wildcats in double-figure scoring to secure a 67-58 win over the Toros on Saturday night at the Torodome, breaking CSUDH's four-game win streak.

The Toros fall to 10-7, 6-6 CCAA, while the Wildcats improve to 10-7, 6-6 CCAA.

The Wildcats took a quick 12-4 lead on two free throws by Maija Panttaja at the 15:38 mark. Behind Natasha Gray's (Long Beach, CA/LB Poly) 12 first-half points, however, the Toros would climb back, eventually using a Crystal Maciel (Los Angeles, CA/South Gate HS) three-pointer to trim the deficit to 25-19 with 6:55 remaining in the half.

Bolstered by the long three, CSUDH would outscore CSUC 6-0, knotting the game at 25-25 on a pair of Gray free throws. A three-pointer by Tameka Blue (Watsonville, CA/Santa Cruz HS) gave CSUDH a 32-30 lead with :07 left, but a halfcourt launch by Chico State's Kim Abts found the bottom of the net as time expired, sending the Wildcats into the locker room with a 33-32 lead.

Chico State scored the first six points of the second half to take a 38-32 lead. A Lindsay Peloza (Alisa Viejo, CA/Capistrano Valley HS) jumper would cut into the advantage, but the Wildcat offense would continue to find the bottom of the net in the second 20-minute frame, taking a59-43 lead on a layup by Abts with 8:07 left in the contest.

CSUC would keep CSUDH at a double-digit deficit over the next six minutes, until a Chase jumper at 1:17 would cut the Wildcat lead to single digits at 58-67. That would be the closest CSUDH would come, however, as Chico State emerged with the nine-point win.

Gray tied Chase for team-high honors with 16 points, while Maciel chipped in 10 in the loss. Gray just missed a double-double, grabbing nine in the game, including six on the offensive end.

CSUC's Kara Scheitlin's 15, Marisa White's 13, Abts' 12 and Michelle Pietka's 11 points led a balanced Wildcat attack, while Scheitlin's 11 boards gave her the sole Chico State double-double on the evening.

CSUDH travels to Chico State and UC Davis next weekend, before returning home to face Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino the weekend of February 13-14. First tip for the home contests is at 5:30 p.m. in the Torodome.-