Mitchell Fuels Lancers Versus HPU

Monday, January 15

Riverside, Calif.

5:00 PM

California Baptist University

Hawaii Pacific

California Baptist

Photo by: Conner Schuh

Mitchell Fuels Lancers Versus HPU

1/15/2018 7:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A 14-point deficit with less than eight minutes to play wasn't enough to count out California Baptist University on Monday.

The Lancers rallied to cut their deficit back down to four with two minutes, 37 seconds remaining but could not complete the comeback in a 66-56 loss to Hawaii Pacific in the CBU Events Center. Tori Mitchell turned in a game and career-high 29 points, nine rebounds and two blocks and two steals in 27 minutes, as CBU drops to 8-9, 5-4 in the PacWest and HPU improves to 13-2, 7-1.

Monday marked the 14^th game out of 17 this year where Mitchell has scored in double figures. The senior center did it on 9-for-16 shooting and a perfect 11-11 from the free-throw line. Georgia Dale scored 11 points and pulled down five boards for CBU, which also received seven points, seven assists and five boards from Ane Olaeta and 10 rebounds, five points and two steals from Lexy Ram.

The Lancers play their next two games on the road, making short trips to Concordia (Irvine) and Azusa Pacific on Saturday and Thursday, Jan. 25^th, respectively. CBU returns home to face CUI on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m.

Despite trailing by as many as eight points in the first 10 minutes, CBU finished both the first and second quarters strong to lead things at halftime. CBU scored the final three points of the first quarter, thanks to a free throw and great running jumper from Olaeta in the final 35 seconds, to keep the deficit manageable, 19-14.

An 11-2 run over the final four-and-a-half minutes of the opening half, with eight points from Mitchell, helped the Lancers pull ahead of the Sharks, 28-27, at the break. Mitchell started and ended the run with buckets, as her energy gave her team a huge boost on offense and defense. The Riverside native had 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks in her first 15 minutes of play.

Hawaii Pacific scored the first five points of the second half, but Olaeta and Dale nailed back-to-back threes, on respective assists from Blaysen Varnadoe and Emma Meriggioli, to keep CBU in front, 34-32. The Sharks then took advantage of the Lancers being in some foul trouble and ended the third on an 11-0 run, which included a buzzer-beating hoist from half court. It gave HPU a 43-34 lead going into the final 10 minutes.

The Sharks ran their lead as high as 14, 52-38, with 7:41 to play, but the Lancers showed no quit and cut their deficit all the way down to four, 56-52, with 2:37 remaining. CBU did so by outscoring the Sharks 14-4 over a five-minute span on six points from Mitchell, five from Dale and three more from Ram.

Ram and Dale hit consecutive threes in a 34-second span to pull the Lancers within 56-52 in the final minutes. The Sharks took over momentum for good with a big steal and bucket with 1:40 to play, allowing them to escape with the win.