LANCERS UPEND BIOLA TO GET IN PLAYOFFS
2/27/2006 9:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The win gives the Lancers the final playoff spot for the upcoming GSAC Tournament.
It also moves the Lancers to 14-16 overall, 8-12 GSAC as they clinch the eighth seed and will play at No. 1-ranked Vanguard Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles close out their season at 10-19, 6-14.
The Lancers led the Eagles by one game entering tonight's game, but needed a win to avoid a tiebreaker, which Biola would have won based on their win over Azusa Pacific earlier this season. Tonight's result was in doubt all the way to the final minutes as the lead changed hands 20 times, the final time coming with 2:13 left.
After being held scoreless for the first time this season in Friday's loss to The Master's, Erin Greenberg rebounded nicely with a game-high 17 points, going 7-for-8 from the field. She was one of 4 Lancers to reach double-figures.
A Rachel Dulin 3-pointer with 9:42 left in the game gave Biola its largest lead of the night (51-47). However, the Lancers responded with a quick 13-2 spurt over a 3:26 span in which they scored 8 straight to take a 60-53 lead. Biola answered that run with a run of its own, a 9-1 run, to retake a 62-61 lead with 4:09 left in the game.
From there, though, the Eagles didn't make another field goal, missing each of their final 8 shots. They were also just 1-for-8 from the free throw line.
That enabled the Lancers to close the game with their clinching run. Nicole Davis converted a 3-point play to give the Lancers the lead again with 2:13 to play. They never trailed again and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line to put the game away.
Davis finished with 16 points despite going 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. She was 7-for-7 from the free throw line and had a game-high 8 assists.
Every time the Lancers tried to pull away, Biola had an answer. In the first half, the Lancers used a 10-0 run capped by a 3-pointer by Jessica Fisiikava to open a 32-24 lead with 6:07 left in the half. However, Biola came all the way back with an 11-2 to take 35-34 lead with 1:46 to play, but Noelle Conroy gave the Lancers a 36-35 advantage at the intermission.
Conroy added 15 points and 8 rebounds. Vanessa Wilt had 16 points and 7 rebounds before fouling out. Linda Ogugua led Biola with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
