Lancers Win Their Share

Saturday, February 18

Belmont, Calif.

1:00 pm

California Baptist University

27-2, 17-0

Notre Dame de Namur

13-12, 11-7

California Baptist

Notre Dame de Namur

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

2/18/2017 2:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

BELMONT, Calif. – While California Baptist University has been in no sharing mood this season, the fourth-ranked Lancers in NCAA Division II secured at least a share of the PacWest regular-season championship in an 84-67 road victory at Notre Dame de Namur Saturday afternoon.

It's another layer of history for CBU, which extended its program-best winning streak to 24-straight games to improve to 27-2, 18-0 in conference. The Argonauts drop to 13-12, 11-7 this year. The Lancers have now also won three PacWest regular-season titles in five years under Coach Jarrod Olson.

CBU can claim the conference championship outright with at least one more win in its final two games at Concordia University of Irvine on Thursday and at home versus Point Loma on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively. One more Sea Lions loss would also secure the Lancers' sole possession of the title.

Cassidy Mihalko produced a monster double-double in Saturday's win, with game-high honors in points and rebounds at 25 and 15, respectively, along with five assists and four steals. Emma Meriggioli scored 19 points to one-up her career high and added six rebounds and three steals, while Courtney Nelson added 17 points, three rebounds and three blocks.

Overall, the Lancers distance themselves from the Argonauts on the glass and with their passing. CBU out rebounded the home team by 14, 52-38, and shot 40.8 percent (31-for-76) from the field, with 24 of its field goals coming off assists. Kamille Diaz led the way in that department for the Lancers and matched her career-high and season-high in assists, with 12, along with eight points and five rebounds.

CBU jumped out to a big lead in the game, with Mihalko and Nelson each scoring five of their team's first 10 points, while Meriggioli drilled a three-pointer off a Nelson assist to give the Lancers a 13-5 advantage with 2:44 to play in the first quarter. Notre Dame de Namur rebounded in a big way, however, and took a 36-29 lead with 2:44 to play in the first half.

Unwilling to give up momentum going into halftime, CBU closed out the final 2:34 of the half on an 11-0 run to take a 40-36 lead into the break. Merriggioli knocked down two threes and Mihalko hit another from distance, while Emily Schmidt cashed in a layup to compose the charge.

In the second half, the Lancers widened their margin to 14, 58-44, with 2:34 left in the third quarter. It came on a 10-3 run fueled by two Diaz buckets and four points from Meriggioli.

From there, the Argonauts found themselves in a battle just to keep it 10-point game. They lost that battle, as a 15-2 run gave CBU a 23-point cushion, 82-59, with four minutes remaining. Mihalko converted a three-pointer and a layup, while Diaz, Erin Asher, Nelson and Tori Mitchell (eight rebounds, seven points) added to the onslaught, before the Lancers sealed the 84-67 victory.