BOX SCORE

LA JOLLA, Calif. — Its mettle tested and its top players on the bench in foul trouble, the Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team answered the clarion call of March Madness, rallying from a 13-point deficit to outlast Chico State 71-65 in the semifinals of the CCAA Basketball Championship Friday in RIMAC Arena.

CSUMB (20-8 overall) advances to Saturday's title game against either Cal State L.A. or host UC San Diego. Chico State (18-10) awaits Sunday's announcement of the NCAA Tournament field hoping for an at large bid.
Junior forward Brittani Jefferson (Palmdale/Quartz Hill HS), one of the quartet of Otters battling early foul trouble, scored 10 of her team-high 16 points in the second half to lead the CSUMB comeback. The Otters also got double digit performances from junior guards Jessica Fontenette (Corona/Bishop Amat) and Britnee Lewis (Antioch/Pittsburg HS) with 12 and 10 points respectively.

The Otter comeback began late in the first half, when a pair of Lewis free throws began a 12-0 half-ending Otter run that turned a 30-17 deficit into a manageable 30-29 Chico lead by intermission. A Fontenette layup less than two minutes after the break gave CSUMB its first lead at 33-32 and begat a second half of 13 lead changes.

Chico appeared to take control of the game again midway through the second period, when MacKenzie Dalthrop's layup made it 60-51 Wildcats inside of eight minutes. But Fontenette had the Otter answer, scoring nine points in a back breaking 12-2 run that put CSUMB back in front, 63-62.

Another Fontenette layup broke the final tie of the night, putting the Otters ahead 67-65 inside the two-minute mark. From there, it was the defense's turn to shine as Angelique Bailey (Fontana/Etiwanda HS) and Shonetta Crain-Williams (Oakland/El Cerrito HS) drew charges on the ensuing two Wildcat possessions before two free throws each from Fontenette and Erika Ward (Simi Valley/Royal HS) sealed the win.