Bakersfield – Lexy Ram notched her fourth double-double of the season, and
Georgia Dale knocked down two huge free throws in the final seconds to earn California Baptist a big road win over CSU Bakersfield on Wednesday afternoon. The Lancers rallied from an 11 point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 55-53.
The win puts CBU back on the right track as prepare to run it back with the rest of their conference foes in seven of their final eight games of the season.
Ram led the Lancers in the big picture as she recorded her fourth double-double of the season with a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes of work. Ram led CBU through eight ties and 10 lead changes, cutting off Roadrunner momentum with every defensive rebound.
Dale recorded 12 points, six boards, three assists, and four steals and was the anchor for California Baptist down the stretch. Two of her steals came in the final two-and-a-half minutes thwarting the Roadrunners' attempts to keep a grasp on the lead they let slip away from them.
Ultimately it was Dale's ability to draw fouls and make free throws, going 5-for-8 in the fourth quarter, that sealed the victory for the Lancers. Her seven made free throws in the game were the most by Lancer in a single game this season.
Neither team got off to a hot start with the score after the first quarter showing just 11-9 in favor of the home team. The second quarter saw more points but not much better shooting as the Lancer were under 30 percent and the Roadrunners we hovering around 32 percent for the half.
After the halftime break, CSUB answered every Lancer basket on their next possession and pulled away at the end of the frame with a 5-0 run in the final two minutes and twenty seconds.
The Roadrunners made their first basket in the fourth to push the lead to 11 before coming up empty on their next five possessions. The Lancers began their comeback by hitting a pair of free throws and a pair of three-pointers to quickly cut the score to 47-44 for the home team.
From there, Ram, Dale,
Ane Olaeta, and
Sydney Palma outscored the 'Runners 11-6 with
Georgia Dale icing it with her final free throw with four ticks left. The Roadrunners managed to get a shot off before the final horn, but the shot found no part of the basket, sending over 2,100 Education Day fans home disappointed.
"I was really proud of the way we competed today, we never quit and just kept working," Head Coach
Jarrod Olson said after the game. "Lexy had a huge game for us both scoring and rebounding and Georgia, Sydney and Ane made some timely plays on defense that lifted the team at just the right moment."
The Lancers can get back to an even season record on Saturday afternoon when they take on Grand Canyon in Phoenix at 1:00 p.m.
