California Baptist University
Hope International University (Calif.)
WINNING WAYS
12/9/2011 4:58:00 AM | Women's Basketball
In a game that got very physical, CBU held its ground, holding a double digit lead for the entire second half.
"They are a tough team to play because they play fast and will grab, and push, and hold," said Head Coach John Marcum. "We had to play through some of those things and I thought we did a good job and got a nice win."
The Royals stayed close for the first seven minutes, playing to a 10-10 tie, but the Lancer defense would clamp down and allow CBU to go on a 12-0 run. Jasmine Beverly came off the bench and sparked the run with a layup and Amy Browne would cap it with a three, giving CBU the 23-10 lead.
A 10-point run late in the first half put the Lancers up comfortably for good.
Beverly posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds in the game, playing 26 minutes off the bench.
"Jasmine gave us some great play as a reserve and I thought Myriah Hicks was excellent handling the ball tonight," said Marcum. "We have had several games where someone came in off the bench and sparked our offense. I thought several players gave us good minutes and this was a good team victory."
CBU shot 3-of-6 from behind the arc in the second half and was 15-of-26 in the game at the free throw line to preserve the win.
Hicks led all scorers in the game with 21 points and Simone Holmes had 17. It was the first game that the CBU point guard Hicks has led the Lancers in scoring this season.
"I thought our composure was good throughout the game, minus the last six minutes," said Marcum. "It's not always how you act, but how you react and we could have done a better job of staying poised late. That's something we can definitely work on going forward. Now we're just looking forward to getting conference play going."
The win moves CBU to 4-1 overall, with the Lancers only loss this year coming in their opener to Simon Fraser. HIU falls to 2-7 with the loss.
The Lancers open their first season of PacWest play Saturday, Dec. 17, hosting Academy of Art in a 1 p.m. game.
