California Baptist University
Vanguard
CLOSING NIGHT
3/2/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. ? California Baptist University got the pleasure of seeing Nicole Davis one last time inside Van Dyne Gym as the senior scored a team-high 18 points in a 62-58 loss to No. 2 Vanguard. Davis along with Jeanine Deno and Lisa Herbertson played their final regular season home games of their careers.
The Lancers (17-13, 9-11 GSAC) trailed by as much as 18 in the first half, but mounted a big run to get within three on three occasions and cut it to two once in the second half. That was as close as CBU came though as Vanguard hit clutch free throws down the stretch.
The loss secures CBU in seventh place in the GSAC and will send the Lancers to Point Loma Nazarene, Wednesday, for the first round of the GSAC Tournament.
Jeanine Deno was the only other Lancer in double figures with 10 points and she was two rebounds short of a double-double with eight. Brenna Hahn and Heather Couzens each added eight points as well. Bridgette Reyes led all scorers with 24 for Vanguard.
CBU opened the game, scoring the first four points, but that was just enough to awaken the Lions. Vanguard scored 21 straight before Hahn nailed a pair of free throw to break the run.
The Lancers cut it to 10 at 28-18 when Davis sank a 3-pointer from the left corner before Deno brought the deficit to single digits within single digits at 29-20 with 6:57 left in the half. Both buckets came in the midst of an 11-1 run as CBU cut it to 29-24 with 5:55 left in the half. Megan Bradford got the Lancers within three, for the first time since the 17:48 mark, at 31-28. CBU trailed 34-30 with 2:18 left in the first, but the Lions closed out the half with a 9-3 run to take a 42-33 lead at intermission.
In the second half, Vanguard stretched their lead to 47-39 before Davis hit back-to-back jumpers with 13:45 left to put CBU within four at 47-43. Vanguard stretched their lead to 53-43, but Deno hit a pair of free throws before Kendra Morris was fouled on a made 3-pointer and then hit the ensuing free throw to make it 53-49. Alyson Haley then made it a two-point game, at 53-51, when she hit a pair of free throws with 4:37 left. The Lions pushed it back out to 57-51 before Herbertson hit a free throw and Morris hit another trey to put CBU within three at 58-55 with 1:34 left. Vanguard though hit four straight from the charity stripe to grab the win.
