FULLERTON, Calif. — With the official season just around the corner, California Baptist University women's basketball got in one last round of preparations for the upcoming season Friday night. The Lancers took on NCAA Division I opponent Cal State Fullerton in an exhibition game and walked away with a 64-56 victory.
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The Lancers return eight student-athletes from the 2013-14 team, while rest of the team is made up of five transfers to give a good mixture of returners and newcomers. Paving the way Friday night were two returning faces,
Kamille Diaz and
Cassidy Mihalko. Diaz led CBU with a game-high 16 points (6-for-16), while Mihalko contributed 12 points (5-for-11) to the cause. Newcomers
Darsha Burnside and
Madeleine White were shy of double figures at eight points, with Burnside finishing a perfect 4-for-4 from the field. White added five rebounds on the night, including four on defense to keep the Titans from getting second looks at the basket.
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Erin Asher made the first two points of the contest, setting the tone early for CBU. The Lancers quickly built their lead up to double-digits at 17-7, capped by a Diaz shot from distance off an
Olivia Weber pass. The Lancers kept pushing and walked into halftime with a good 35-27 cushion.
While the Titans scored the same amount of points as the Lancers in the second half, it wasn't enough to scrap out a come-from-behind victory.Â
As CSUF tried to battle back into the game, the Lancers held firm to their lead to hold a 59-48 lead down the stretch. Burnside and Mihalko bucketed two unanswered shots from inside the arc to give CBU the 11 point lead with five minutes to go.
The Titans attempted to get their rhythm with an 8-2 run to put the score within five, 61-56, with just over two minutes on the clock, but as they fouled the Lancers, CBU kept its composure at the line. Diaz and White finished their chances at the charity stripe to give the Lancers the 64-56 win.
CBU officially opens the new season on Friday and Saturday at the Northwest Nazarene tournament in Idaho. The Lancers first face Central Washington on Friday before taking on the host squad on Saturday. CBU begins home action on Nov. 21, hosting University of Colorado–Colorado Springs.
