California Baptist University
Hope International
COMING UP CLUTCH
2/19/2008 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. ? Jeanine Deno scored the final nine points for California Baptist and scored a team-high 24 to lead the Lancers to an 88-85 win over Hope International.
The Lancers (14-9, 8-8) had five players in double figures including Deno as Nicole Davis scored 23 while Erin Greenberg finished with 13. Megan Bradford also scored 12 points.
Bryana Williams notched her fifth double-double of the season as she added 13 boards to go with her 13 points. Davis just missed a double-double by two assists as she dished out eight.
Deno was forced to step up in the final minutes when the Lancers' leading scorer, Davis, went down with an injury to her right shoulder. Deno hit seven straight from the charity stripe and added a lay up in the final three minutes.
“We talked to Jeanine about that fact that she hasn't got enough shots up in the last four or five games,” said CBU head coach Danelle Bishop. “We just reassured her that we recruited her because she can score. She was just an offensive threat tonight. She had that mentality to score. More importantly she hit some huge clutch free throws.”
The Lancers trailed 16-9 early in the first half, but CBU used a 21-7 run to take the lead at 30-23. Deno, who scored 13 in the first half, scored eight in that stretch alone including a pair of treys. CBU took its biggest lead of the second half on a three-pointer by Greenberg who put CBU on top 48-40 with 45 seconds left in the half before Hope answered with a two making it 48-42 at intermission.
CBU took its biggest lead of the game at 57-44 early in the second half, but outscored the Lancers 23-11 to get within one at 68-67. Hope took its first lead since the 12:04 mark in the first half when Sarah Nylander gave the Royals a 69-68 lead. Davis then put CBU back up scoring five straight points to give the Lancers a 73-73 lead. HIU tied the game again at 75 and 79 before Deno put the game away.
CBU turned the ball over just eight times while forcing 13 turnovers. The Lancers were 31-of-67 from the field and 10-of-17 from behind the arc. CBU was also 16-of-20 from the charity stripe.
“We did a great job of taking care of the ball,” said Bishop. “It seemed like we got a lot of points off of turnovers. We just did a better job of being focused tonight. I am just super proud that they fought through and pulled this one out.”
California Baptist will now travel to Santa Clarita, Calif., to take on The Master's, Thursday, at 5:30 p.m.
