Lancers Battle WAC Favorite in Opener

Thursday, January 3

Las Cruces, N.M.

5:00 PM

California Baptist University

NM State

California Baptist

New Mexico St.

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

Lancers Battle WAC Favorite in Opener

1/3/2019 7:41:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – A fourth-quarter rally certainly made for an impressive first-ever game in the Western Athletic Conference for California Baptist University. The Lancers battled NM State, the preseason favorite and winner of the last four regular-season titles, within seven points in a 76-69 loss in the Pan American Center on Thursday.

Four CBU players scored nine points or more and helped their team rally back from double-digit deficits on several occasions. Lexy Ram led CBU with 16 points, while Emma Meriggioli and Georgia Dale each scored 15 and Ane Olaeta chipped in nine.

The Lancers continue WAC play at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Saturday at 5 p.m.

NM State took a 57-45 lead into the fourth quarter, but CBU fought back to make it a one-possession game (57-54) with 6:18 to play. The Lancers started the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run, thanks to five points from Ram and fast-break buckets from Meriggioli and Dale.

CBU pulls back within five (57-52) of the preseason favorite in the WAC on this three from Lexy Ram! The Lancers have outscored the Aggies 4-0 in this fourth quarter.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/EAh9jyJ1N8
— CBU W. Basketball (@CBUwbb) January 4, 2019

CBU kept it close and trailed 69-63 with less than three minutes to play after three points from Dale and a putback from Caitlyn Harper. NMSU scored the next three points to go up by 11 with 1:32 to play, and it was enough to outlast the Lancers.

The Aggies found a way to finish every quarter strong on Thursday night. Three-pointers from Ram and Meriggioli had CBU trailing by just one, 9-8, about halfway through the first quarter.

Three-pointers from Lexy Ram and Emma Meriggioli have CBU trailing NM State, the preseason favorite in the WAC, by just one (9-8) about halfway through the first quarter.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/59fJ23baGJ
— CBU W. Basketball (@CBUwbb) January 4, 2019

NM State closed it out well to take a 26-15 lead into the second period.

Fast-break buckets from Meriggioli, Delacy Brown and another three from Ram pulled the Lancers back within six, 30-26, less than four minutes into the second. A pair of free throws from Dale and a putback from Harper cut the deficit down to 32-28 for CBU, but the Aggies ended the first half up 38-28.

Four-straight points from Ram and Meriggioli pulled CBU back within 38-32 two minutes into the third quarter, but NMSU pulled away to lead 57-45 going into the fourth.

The Lancers saw their five-game winning streak come to an end, as it moves to 6-7, 0-1 in conference this season. NM State, which has also won three of the last four tournament championships in the WAC, improves to 9-5, 1-0. The Aggies haven't lost a home conference game since 2015-16.