CBU Nabs Another Top-25 Win

Saturday, February 3

Providence, RI

10:50 AM

California Baptist University

Bucknell

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

CBU Nabs Another Top-25 Win

2/3/2018 8:00:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

BUCKNELL BOX SCORE

HARTWICK BOX SCORE

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For the second day in a row, California Baptist University knocked off a top-25 ranked team with an 8-7 win over No. 25 Bucknell on Saturday at the Bruno Invitational.

Thirteen saves and a steal from Grace Ramirez helped preserve the one-goal win for the Lancers, while Annie Eubanks and Maddie Meza both scored twice in the win, with every CBU score coming off an assist.

It was one of two games for the Lancers on Saturday, as they ended the tournament with 18^th-ranked Hartwick. Despite two goals, three drawn ejections and steals from Lizette Perez, CBU fell to the top-20 team, 15-8. Jaclyn Myers also scored twice in the game, while Kira O'Donell (two drawn ejections, steal), Allie Coleman and Meza each had two points with a goal and assist and Eubanks had two assists.

CBU moves to 4-5 on the year at the end of the Bruno Invitational, while Hartwick improves to 4-2 and Bucknell moves to 2-1 after winning its other two games Saturday.

The Lancers took an early lead on the Bison by scoring the first three goals of the game, with Perez, Eubanks and Meza each putting one in the cage in the first quarter. Bucknell finally managed to break through the Lancers' defense 10 minutes, 26 seconds into the game. Pua Wong scored less than two minutes later to restore the three-goal lead.

Bucknell cut the deficit back down to two, 4-2, with 1:27 left in the first half but a Vickie Ochoa goal with 13 seconds left kept the Bison back three goals going into halftime. Despite a Jocelyn Schwegler score, Bucknell managed to fight back within a goal, 6-5, in the second half, but consecutive scores from Meza and Eubanks put the Lancers back ahead by three, 8-5, with just over 10 minutes left in regulation.

The Lancers kept their 8-5 lead going into the fourth quarter until the Bison launched a furious comeback in the final eight minutes. They scored the only two goals of the frame to cut back within one, 8-7, with 1:06 remaining.

Ramirez came up with two saves in the fourth quarter, including one in the final minute that would have sent the game into overtime, to keep CBU in front in the end.

Eubanks drew five ejections and had an assist in the game, while Madison Gonzales, Coleman and O'Donell each had two assists. Perez scored and also drew two ejections in the opening victory of the day.