CBU Stands Strong in Santa Clara

Saturday, February 24

Santa Clara, Calif.

9:00 AM

California Baptist University

Cal State Monterey Bay

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

CBU Stands Strong in Santa Clara

2/24/2018 3:56:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY BOX SCORE

UC DAVIS BOX SCORE

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – A dominating win early Saturday morning nearly fueled California Baptist University to its biggest upset victory as an NCAA program at the Santa Clara Invitational.

The 23^rd-ranked Lancers started the day with a 10-1 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay and pushed No. 10 UC Davis all the way until the end in a 10-9 loss. CBU's record moves to 6-8 this year, while the Otters slide to 0-8 and the Aggies improve to 11-6.

CBU plays four games next week at the Claremont Convergence Tournament. The Lancers open versus Occidental and No. 15 UC San Diego Friday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, and then face Pomona-Pitzer and Villanova on Saturday at 11:40 a.m. and 3:40 p.m.

Several standout performances secured the dominant win over Cal State Monterey Bay to start Saturday. Megan Rocha logged 15 saves in the cage, while Kira O'Donell (four goals, two assists) and Lizette Perez (three goals, two assists) logged six and five points, respectively.

Allie Coleman also notched four steals, a goal and assist for the Lancers, who received a goal and assist from Pua Wong and two assists from Jaclyn Myers.

Wong and O'Donell started the first game with goals to give CBU a 2-0 lead two minutes into the action. The Otters scored their first and only goal with 3:17 into the contest, but would not crack the cage the rest of the way. O'Donell added two more goals before the quarter was over for a 4-1 lead at the end of the first.

Perez scored twice in the second quarter, which included Coleman's tally to make it 7-1 at halftime. The Lancers made mass substitutions to get everyone into the game and there was no drop off. O'Donell, Perez and Maddie Meza added CBU's final three goals in the fourth quarter to end the game.

In the final game of the week, UC Davis looked to pull away when it took an 8-6 lead with five minutes left in regulation. Coleman came alive and scored three goals in the final four minutes of play, including one with nine seconds left to nearly send the contest into overtime.

The Aggies called timeout after the goal and drew an ordinary foul right outside five meters and Paige Virgil scored with five seconds left to escape with the win.

Earlier in the game, the Lancers overcame a 2-0 deficit. Goals from Perez and Vickie Ochoa tied the game with 1:11 left in the first quarter. The Aggies took a 3-2 lead into the second, but an O'Donell goal tied things again at 3-3.

It continued in that manner, with the Aggies scoring and the Lancers answering one goal after another. There were ties at 4-4, 5-5 and 6-6, with O'Donell, Wong and Katie Quon forcing them. Grace Ramirez kept CBU in the game with her play in goal, blocking 10 shots and forcing three steals.

Perez (three assists, one goal) and Coleman (three goals, one assist) finished with four points and two drawn ejections in the loss. Coleman also had two steals and O'Donell drew three kick outs to go along with her two goals, while Annie Eubanks tallied three steals, two drawn ejections and an assist. Myers also notched an assist and three steals in the game.