Complete Box Score

La JOLLA, Calif. (Mar. 10) All-region forward Amber Simmons scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Chico State to a 75-60 victory over Seattle Pacific in an NCAA II West Region semifinal Saturday evening at UC San Diego’s RIMAC Arena.

With the victory, Chico State (24-4), seeded second in the tournament and ranked 11th nationally, advances to the West Region championship game for the third straight season. Seattle Pacific (20-9), who’s season ended after an 11th straight trip to the postseason and fifth straight season with at least one playoff win, and Chico faced each other in the previous two regional title games.

“We know Chico well and felt confident coming in. We played hard, but got very tired at the end,” said SPU coach Julie van Beek, who is 44-15 overall and 3-2 in the playoffs in two seasons at the helm of the program. “Chico is a good team with some experienced players and they showed it tonight.”

After a seesaw battle through the first 28 minutes, Chico began to pull away midway through the second half, turning a one-point deficit into a six-point advantage. Just as she did the night before, SPU’s Kelsey Hill (So., Portland, Or./Portland Christian) hit a clutch basket that brought the Falcons to within three of the Wildcats with 11:33 left in the game.

Chico State responded with six unanswered points that turned into a 17-2 run which left the Falcons in an 18-point hole with four minutes remaining in the game.

“We took some quick shots that we did not finish, and that led to some easy baskets for them (Chico),” van Beek said. “They hit some big shots and once they made their run, you sensed that they felt like they would not give it back.”

Seattle Pacific, however, had a comeback in mind. After the Wildcats increased the lead to 19, the Falcons got five straight points from Jessie Menkens (Sr., 5-10, Battle Ground, Wa./Prairie) and pulled to within 12 with 1:25 left to play. Chico, however, hit a pair of free throws over its next two possessions and closed the door on the Falcons.

“When another team makes a run like that and your shots aren’t falling, you lose confidence and really feel the fatigue,” van Beek said. “We did an excellent job of turning it around and creating some momentum by pressing them. If we could have gone a couple of possessions without giving up free throws, we might have been able to get a lot close.”

Hill paced the Falcons with her ninth double-double of the season and fourth in the last five game, scoring 16 points and matching Chico’s Simmons with a game-high 10 rebounds. Menkens poured in 15 points in 25 minutes off the bench, hitting three of SPU’s four three pointers for the game. Jackie Hollands (Jr., 5-9, Oregon City, Or.) added 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The Falcons came out on fire, forcing two Chico turnovers in the first two minutes and getting baskets from three different players in scoring the first six points of the contest. That proved to be SPU’s largest lead of the game, however, as Chico got six points from Simmons during a 9-0 run to take an eight-point lead midway through the first half.

Menkens single-handedly brought SPU back to even, scoring all of SPU’s points during a 10-2 run that tied the teams at 26 points apiece with two minutes left in the first half. Simmons scored with 38 ticks left on the clock to give the Wildcats a two-point lead at the break.

Along with Simmons, Renee Goldoff was also in double figures with 14 points and nine rebounds to help the Chico cause. Cory Edwards scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench. Niki Simons chipped in nine points and seven rebounds as Chico had a 45-32 rebounding advantage.

“We’ve been injury depleted which has left us very thin in the post,” van Beek said. “Although we’ve done a good job overcoming that, it’s difficult when Chico’s strength is in their post game.

Hill scored a basket in the opening moments of the second half to tie the game again, but Simmons answered for Chico. The Falcons then got back-to-back baskets from Hill and Hollands to pull ahead by two.

That, however, was SPU’s last lead of the game as Goldoff hit two free throws, Melissa Richardson scored a layup and Simons drained a three to put Chico on top by five. The teams essentially traded baskets for the next five minutes before the Wildcats pulled away.

The Falcons shot just 39 percent for the game, while Chico shot 63 percent in the second half and 44 percent for the contest. The Wildcats also made 10 more trips to the free-throw line although they shot just 13-21. SPU went 8-11 from the foul line.

En route to their 11th straight playoff appearance, the Falcons picked up their fourth GNAC title in five years and their eighth straight season with 20 or more wins.

“I don’t like losing and it’s tough to lose when you don’t play particularly well, but I’m proud of what we accomplished this season” van Beek said. “We were faced with a lot of adversity, and I’m proud of the work the team put in to get to this point.”

CHICO STATE 75, SEATTLE PACIFIC 60
SEATTLE PACIFIC (20-9) Hill,Kelsey 8-14 0-0 16; Menkens,Jessie 5-11 2-2 15; Hollands,Jackie 3-12 3-4 10; Christensen,Beth 4-9 1-3 9; Christensen,Jessie 2-3 2-2 6; Strand,Rachel 2-4 0-0 4; Fielding,Autumn 0-1 0-0 0; Hoisington,Megan 0-0 0-0 0; Henderson,Daesha 0-2 0-0 0; Magnuson,Libby 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 24-61 8-11 60.
CHICO STATE (24-4) SIMMONS, Amber 8-19 3-5 19; GOLDOFF, Renee 4-5 6-8 14; EDWARDS, Cory 5-7 0-0 10; SIMONS, Niki 3-8 0-0 9; RICHARDSON, Melissa 4-7 0-2 9; SPENCER, Audriana 3-11 0-0 8; KARCHER, Teresa 1 2 0-0 2; MONTEITH, Amanda 0-0 2-4 2; SMITH-WILLIAMS, Jade 0-4 2-2 2; VEST, Christine 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-63 13-21 75.

Seattle Pacific............... 28 32 - 60 
Chico State................... 30 45 - 75

Halftime-CSUC 30, SPU 28. 3-point goals-Seattle Pacific 4-18 (Menkens,Jessie 3-7; Hollands,Jackie 1-4; Strand,Rachel 0-1; Fielding,Autumn 0-1; Henderson,Daesha 0-1; Magnuson,Libby 0-2; Christensen,Beth 0-2), Chico State 6-18 (SIMONS, Niki 3-5; SPENCER, Audriana 2-8; RICHARDSON, Melissa 1-3; KARCHER, Teresa 0-1; SIMMONS, Amber 0-1). Fouled out--Seattle Pacific-None, Chico State-None. Rebounds-Seattle Pacific 32 (Hill,Kelsey 10), Chico State 45 (SIMMONS, Amber 10). Assists-Seattle Pacific 14 (Christensen,Beth 9), Chico State 14 (SIMMONS, Amber 4). Total fouls-Seattle Pacific 17, Chico State 14. A-214.