California Baptist University
Fresno Pacific
DENO NOT DENIED
1/31/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. ? Jeanine Deno may have only hit two 3-pointers in the game, but both came at a most opportune time. Deno drained her first three with 13 seconds left in the game to tie it at 63-63 and complete a 22-point comeback to send the game into overtime.
In overtime, the Lancers took their first lead since the 13:34 mark in the first half when Nicole Davis hit two free throws to give CBU a 67-65 lead. The Sunbirds tied it at 67, but Alyson Haley gave CBU the lead at 69-67 with a bucket inside the paint. FPU got within one, but Deno nailed her other three with 59 seconds left to put CBU up 72-68. Deno added another layup and CBU hit four straight free throws to secure the win.
“This is what we have been battling to see; effort, heart and passion,” said CBU head coach Danelle Bishop. “In the second half we saw a team accomplish what they know they can achieve. We didn't play good defense in the first half and we just got down. We came out and held them in the second half. Hopefully we took away some pride in defense tonight.”
The win snaps a three-game home losing streak for the Lancers (13-8, 5-6 GSAC). Nicole Davis scored a game-high 27 points, going 8-for-16 from the field with all eight buckets coming inside the arc. Davis also drained a season-high 11 free throws on just 12 attempts. Deno was close behind with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor and 2-for-4 from 3-point range. Deno also grabbed seven boards and hit all three free throw attempts.
“We have been talking to Nicole about getting back to her strengths which is not settling for the threes,” said Bishop. “We told her that half of her shots have been threes and that she needs to start taking it more to the hole and shooting short-range jumpers. She came up pretty clutch tonight too.”
After shooting just 29.2 percent in the first half, the Lancers went 15-of-31 from the floor in the second. Davis and Deno combined for 39 second-half points after the two had combined for just 11 first-half points.
The Lancers held a 12-6 lead through the first five minutes of the game, but Fresno Pacific outscored CBU 35-12 the rest of the half to take a 41-24 lead at intermission. The Sunbirds scored the first five points of the second half to take their biggest lead of the game at 46-24.
Trailing 51-31 with 15:13 left, the Lancers began to take chunks out of the lead. CBU then used a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 53-43. Ten of the points came from Davis alone. The Lancers then outscored Fresno 13-3 over the next 10 minutes to get within three at 59-56 with 2:24 left.
FPU took a 63-58 lead with 1:04 left and that's when Deno took the game into her hands. Deno made it 63-60 with a lay up with 51 seconds left before draining the game-tying three.
“Coach (Matt) Klemin talked to her about stepping up and hitting the shots she needs to hit as a senior,” said Bishop. “That's what we recruited her for and she drained some big threes tonight right when we needed them. She also did a great job on the defensive end.”
