California Baptist University
Vanguard
IN THE PITS
1/27/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
COSTA MESA, Calif. ? When the second-ranked team in the land has a grudge against you and add in the fact that it gets to avenge it on its home court, the odds won't be in your favor.
Such was the case for California Baptist University as it fell 96-62 to No. 2 Vanguard in a Golden State Athletic Conference battle Tuesday night. The Pit was not a friendly place for the Lancers (12-8, 4-6 GSAC) as the Lions shot a blistering 57.9 percent (22-38) in the first half including a 9-for-18 barrage from downtown.
Vanguard drained 14 3-pointers in all, the most of any Lancer opponent all year. The last team to hit more than 10 treys against CBU was this same Vanguard team who nailed 13 up in Las Vegas in a controversy-filled game that the Lancers won 92-90 in overtime.
The win tonight erased all memory from the Las Vegas Shootout and reestablished that the Lions are still the team to beat as they remain undefeated in conference at 10-0.
CBU was just 20-of-53 from the floor and 3-of-19 from 3-point range. The Lions nearly doubled the Lancers' rebounds, grabbing 46 compared to CBU's 29. After shooting over 70 percent from the charity stripe in their previous eight games, CBU was just 67.9 percent (19-28) against Vanguard. The Lions on the other hand went 18-for-20 from the free-throw line.
Nicole Davis tied the Lions' Lauren Gregory for a game-high 22 points. Davis went 6-for-11 from the field and that included three treys. Heather Couzens and Alyson Haley each scored 10 points while Couzens was just two rebounds shy of a double-double.
It took less than four minutes for the Lions to jump out to a double-digit lead at 12-2. Vanguard extended that lead out to 27-9 before CBU got into double digits midway through the first half. Leading 27-11, Vanguard used a 24-8 run to take a 51-19 lead and took its biggest lead of the half at 61-28 with just 21 seconds left.
After getting blown out, 61-31, in the opening half, CBU stuck with Vanguard in the second. The Lions out scored CBU by just four, 35-31.
The Lancers return back to Van Dyne Gym, Saturday, when they host Fresno Pacific.
