CBU's Depth Wears On NDNU

Saturday, January 28

Riverside, Calif.

5:00 PM

California Baptist University

21-2, 12-0PWC

Notre Dame de Namur

9-10, 7-5PWC

NDNU-WBB

California Baptist

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

CBU's Depth Wears On NDNU

1/28/2017 8:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – In a close game in the first half, California Baptist University found itself in unfamiliar territory at home against Notre Dame de Namur Saturday night. Nevertheless, the eighth-ranked Lancers got back on course en route to a 91-63 victory over the Argonauts.

CBU's depth wore on NDNU, with five Lancers scoring at least nine points and a total of nine scoring in the game. Notre Dame de Namur also committed 17 turnovers, compared to just eight of the Lancers, who won their 18^th-straight game and 30 consecutive at home to improve to 21-2 and remain undefeated at 12-0 in the PacWest.

"This run is exciting, but at the same time it keeps us on our toes," forward Tori Mitchell said. "It makes us want to keep the run going and go undefeated the rest of the season."

The Argonauts slide to 9-10, 7-5 in conference, in what has been a dramatic turnaround from their 3-25 campaign in 2015-16. Saturday was CBU's first of four home games in an eight-day span. Hawaii-Hilo visits Monday at 5 p.m., followed by Hawai'i Pacific Thursday at 4 p.m. and BYU-Hawaii next Saturday at 5 p.m.

Cassidy Mihalko scored a team-high 23 points on 9-for-17 shooting, along with six rebounds and three steals. The senior finds herself 16 points off joining the prestigious 2,000 club, which currently includes only two Lancers – Nicole Davis (2,091) and Sonja Akkerman (2,373).

Kamille Diaz logged a double-double, with 19 points (7-12, 3-6 from three) and 10 assists – while only turning the ball over once – and three steals, while Lexy Ram (14 points), Mitchell (11 points, 4-for-5) and Courtney Nelson (nine points) rounded out CBU's depth.

The Lancers out-rebounded NDNU 51-44, with Olivia Weber spearheading that effort with nine, while Nelson, Mitchell and Ram added seven, six and five, respectively.

"I think we wore them down, we pressed a lot in the first half," Coach Jarrod Olson said. "It was nice to see some people come in and step up for us when we needed them."

Still, the Argonauts used a 10-3 run to take a 27-21 lead 2:39 into the second quarter. A layup from Mitchell and triple from Diaz brought CBU back within one, but consecutive buckets at the other end reestablished Notre Dame's six-point lead, 32-26, with 5:10 to go in the half.

"We had trouble getting it going tonight, and I think NDNU had a lot to do with that," Olson said. "They really played well in the first half and made it difficult for us. It was nice we were able to find a little bit of a rhythm in the second half and come out with a win against a pretty good team."

Four-straight points from Ram jump started a 14-4 run to close the second quarter for CBU, with Mihalko and Diaz hitting back-to-back threes and then Diaz and Emma Meriggioli finishing off consecutive layups to end the run. It put the Lancers ahead 40-36 going into the break.

Notre Dame de Namur fought to keep it a close game, remaining within 10 points in the third quarter and early in the fourth, but CBU's depth began to wear on the visitors, as the Lancers closed out the game on a 20-0 run.

"We just held it together, but in the end we found our groove and put it all together," Mitchell said.

It started when Diaz countered an NDNU jumped with a layup with 6:45 to play, making it a 73-63 Lancer lead. CBU's starters – Nelson, Ram, Mihalko and Diaz – scored the first 12 points of the charge to make it an 85-63 game with 2:51 to play, and then Olson subbed in five new players. The run kept going, with Emily Schmidt and Kristine Sellona each hitting threes to close out the game.