HONOLULU – No. 11-ranked California Baptist University picked up right where it left off before the Christmas break and grabbed an 81-71 win over Hawai'i Pacific to tip off the new year.
 
The Lancers improve to 14-2 overall and remain undefeated in conference with a 5-0 mark. The win also extends CBU's win streak to 11-straight games. The Sharks drop to 6-3 overall, 3-1 in the PacWest with the loss.
 
All five starters for CBU scored in double figures, led by Kamille Diaz with 17 points (6-for-12). Cassidy Mihalko was right on her tail with 16, while Emma Meriggioli chipped in 13 points on 3-for-5 shooting. Tori Mitchell finished with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Courtney Nelson was close to an elusive triple-double, posting 11 points, seven boards and eight assists.
 
Despite Mitchell scoring the first points of the night, HPU went off on an 8-0 run to take an early lead. That didn't last long, however, as Mihalko sparked a 7-0 response for the Lancers to jump in front 9-8.
 
The Lancers had to close the gap again in the second, opening the frame with a 10-2 run to take back the upper hand, 24-23. Nelson capped the spurt by finding an open lane to drive to the basket.
 
CBU got some cushion with three minutes left before halftime as Diaz and Meriggioli knocked down back-to-back threes to put their team in front 37-30. A buzzer-beating layup from Mihalko just before the quarter expired put the Lancers up 39-31 at halftime.
 
The Sharks came out hungry in the third and pulled within one once again, 39-38. Mihalko got a stop on defense, by stripping an HPU player of the ball and found Nelson on the counterattack to stop the scoring spree. Nelson drew a foul as she banked in her shot, rounding the play up to three to put CBU up 42-38.
 
With less than two minutes remaining in the third, CBU closed out the period strong to take its largest margin of the night so far, 52-42, off two Erin Asher free throws.
 
In the final 10 minutes, the Lancers maintained their cushion – even extending it to 16 points – before the Sharks put together one final push.
 
HPU rattled in a three-pointer with 20 seconds left to play to cut the margin to 10 points, but it was the closest the Sharks would get as the Lancers took the game 81-71.
 
CBU remains in Hawai'i for one more game, taking on Chaminade on Thursday with a 7:00 p.m. PDT tip off.