Complete Box Score

BELLINGHAM, Wa. (Dec. 9) – Mandy Wood led five Falcons in double figures with a career-high 27 points, but Seattle Pacific lost its first game of the season 80-76 in overtime to unbeaten Chico State in a battle of national powers to open the California Collegiate Athletic Association/Great Northwest Athletic Conference Challenge Friday evening at the Whatcom Community College Pavilion.

The game was a re-match of last year’s NCAA II West Region championship, which Seattle Pacific won 85-70. It was also Chico’s first victory in eight meetings between the two teams.

After holding the lead from the opening whistle until the final six minutes of the contest Seattle Pacific (4-1), ranked No. 3 in the Women’s Basketball Association Coaches Poll, needed a dramatic three pointer at the buzzer from Wood (Sr., 5-6, Port Angeles, Wa.) to force overtime. 11th-ranked Chico State (6-0) scored four of the first five points in overtime and never surrendered the lead.

The Falcons pulled back to within one on a basket by Wood with 1:55 left in the extra period, but SPU could not get a stop down the stretch. Amber Simmons gave the Wildcats a 78-74 lead with just over a minute left to play. Wood answered with 48 seconds left, but Chico got a basket from Haley Ford with 29 seconds remaining, and forced a missed jumper and a turnover for the win.

Wood shot 11-for-17 from the field, including 4-for-8 from three-point range to lead all scorers. She also had a team-high five steals. SPU’s four other starters all scored 10 points each, including Carli Grant (Sr., 5-11, Spokane, Wa./Valley Christian), who tallied her third straight double-double and fourth in five games with 10 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.

Simmons scored six of Chico’s 10 points in overtime and finished with a team-high 20. She also led all players with 15 rebounds and seven steals. Haley Ford scored Chico’s four other points in OT and finished with 19 for the game to go along with eight rebounds and four assists.

SPU jumped out to an early 10-3 lead and pulled ahead by nine, 16-7, just five minutes into the game. The Falcons went on to capture their largest lead of the game, 11 points, when Grant hit a basket with 7:34 left in the first half to put SPU on top 32-21.

Jackie Hollands (So., 5-9, Oregon City, Or.) sank a pair of free throws with two minutes left in the half to put SPU back on top by 10, but the Wildcats scored eight unanswered points to pull within two at the break.

Seattle Pacific led by seven with 11 minutes remaining in regulation, but Chico went on a 12-2 run to capture its first lead with 6:07 left to play and a three-point advantage, 64-61, with 5:49 left on the clock.

SPU recaptured the lead, 67-66, on a basket by Jenny Poe (Sr., 5-8, Enumclaw, Wa.) with 3:54 remaining, but Simmons answered for Chico 12 seconds later. Neither team scored a point for the next 3:35 of action, until Audriana Spencer sank a pair of free throws to give the Wildcats a three-point lead with seven second left.

Wood dribbled the length of the court and buried a trey, her fourth of the night, from the left wing.

Chico shot just 34 percent but owned the boards out-rebounding SPU 61-48, including 27-11 on the offensive glass. The Wildcats also scored 21 points off 27 SPU turnovers. The Falcons, who came in at 75 percent from the foul line, shot an uncharacteristic 44 percent (8-for-18).

The Falcons take on Sonoma State tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. in the final day of the tournament.

CHICO STATE CA 80, SEATTLE PACIFIC 76 (OT)
SEATTLE PACIFIC (4-1)
Wood,Mandy 11-17 1-3 27; Kroon,Brittney 4-8 2-2 10; Poe,Jenny 5-13 0-0 10; Grant,Carli 5-10 0-0 10; Fielding,Autumn 5-9 0-1 10; Christensen,Beth 0-1 3-8 3; Hill,Kelsey 1-6 0-2 2; Strand,Rachel 1-6 0 0 2; Hollands,Jackie 0-2 2-2 2; Menkens,Jessie 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 32-75 8-18 76.
CHICO STATE CA (6-0)
Simmons,Amber 10-22 0-0 20; Ford,Haley 7-26 2-4 19; Himmelspach,Lauren 5-16 7-10 17; Spencer,Audriana 5-13 2-2 13; Simmons,Niki 2-5 0-1 4; Van Hollenbeke,Amy 1-3 0-0 3; Borror,Jennifer 1-2 0-0 2; Goldoff,Renee 1-6 0-0 2; Edwards,Cory 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 32-95 11-17 80.

Seattle Pacific............... 41 29  6 - 76 
Chico State CA................ 39 31 10 - 80

3-point goals-Seattle Pacific 4-15 (Wood,Mandy 4-8; Grant,Carli 0-1; Fielding,Autumn 0-2; Strand,Rachel 0-1; Hollands,Jackie 0-1; Menkens,Jessie 0-2), Chico State CA 5-25 (Ford,Haley 3-13; Van Hollenbeke,Amy 1-3; Spencer,Audriana 1-5; Himmelspach,Lauren 0-1; Simmons,Amber 0-3). Fouled out--Seattle Pacific-None, Chico State CA Goldoff,Renee. Rebounds-Seattle Pacific 48 (Grant,Carli 11), Chico State CA 61 (Simmons,Amber 15). Assists-Seattle Pacific 21 (Christensen,Beth 7), Chico State CA 20 (Spencer,Audriana 5). Total fouls-Seattle Pacific 18, Chico State CA 22. A-130.

2005 GNAC/CCAA Challenge Classic - GAME01