NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – A balanced attack gave California Baptist University a shot at an impressive non-conference win at CSUN on Wednesday, but a late comeback allowed the Matadors to pull out the 73-67 victory in the Matadome.

A career performance from Emma Meriggioli and big contributions from Britney Thomas and Delacy Brown put the Lancers in position to win from start to finish. Nevertheless, CSUN secured the win to improve to 3-4 on the year, while CBU moves to 1-6. The Lancers will continue the back-to-back with a home game versus cross-town opponent La Sierra in the CBU Events Center Thursday at 6 p.m.

Meriggioli scored a career-best 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting from three on Wednesday. It was the second most three-pointers made in a game by a Lancer, and just the fifth time a CBU player made eight or more threes in an NCAA-era game. Her .889 field goal percentage from three was also tied for the NCAA era single-game record first set by Kamille Diaz at Hawaii Hilo on Jan. 5, 2016. 
 
Thomas pulled down her sixth double-double of the year with 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while Brown added 12 points and four assists. Caitlyn Harper also had four blocks in the game, which is tied for the 13th most in a game in CBU's NCAA era.   

CBU also took care of the ball, turning it over just nine times while forcing 12 from CSUN. The Lancers also held the Matadors to 37.7 percent shooting from the field (29-77) and 31.6 percent from three (6-19), while connecting on 39.3 percent of their threes (11-28).

CSUN scored the first six points of the game, but CBU used a 15-6 run to take a 15-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Tiena Afu (six points, seven rebounds) hit back-to-back threes in the run, while Brown added five points.
 

Tiena Afu connects on this three-pointer, with Ane Olaeta on the assist, to give CBU a 15-10 lead late in the first quarter. #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/VYOzpFVVIN

— CBU W. Basketball (@CBUwbb) November 28, 2018

The Lancers did not give up their lead in the second or third quarters. Seven-straight points from Thomas helped CBU keep its edge in the second quarter and go into halftime with a 31-28 advantage.

CBU then scored the first six points of the third quarter, with each coming on layups – two from Brown and another from Thomas, to take a 37-28 lead. Meriggioli took over from there and scored four of her team's final five field goals from beyond the three-point line in the third quarter. Lexy Ram added the other bucket late in the third, on an assist from Georgia Dale, to keep it a nine-point Lancer lead, 53-44, going into the fourth quarter.

 

That's a dime!

Georgia Dale threads a pass through CSUN's defense, finding Lexy Ram for an easy layup. CBU leads 48-42 late in the third. #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/qaEZJSAxN4

— CBU W. Basketball (@CBUwbb) November 28, 2018

Brown gave CBU its largest lead of the contest, 55-44, with a layup to start the fourth quarter. The Matadors turned things around from there and took their first lead since the first quarter with 4:36 left in regulation. CSUN never gave it up and secured the victory.