Lancers Claim Victory in First-Ever Meeting With Santa Clara

Saturday, December 18

Santa Clara, Calif.

2 PM

California Baptist University

8-2,0-0WAC

Santa Clara

5-4,0-0WCC

California Baptist

Santa Clara

Lancers Claim Victory in First-Ever Meeting With Santa Clara

12/18/2021 4:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Daniel Cook, Assistant Director of Athletics Communications

SANTA CLARA – A defensive battle broke out during the California Baptist University women's basketball game against Santa Clara on Saturday afternoon. The Lancers got a huge fourth quarter contribution from Britney Thomas to seal the come-from-behind win against the Broncos, 58-54.

With the win, the Lancers improve to 8-2 on the year and hand Santa Clara its first home loss of the season as it falls to 5-4 in each team's penultimate non-conference tilt of the season.

Thomas came off the bench to lead all scorers with 16, doing half of her damage at the charity stripe where she went 8-12. Ane Olaeta dropped in 13 points with a full stat line that included six rebounds, five assists and five steals. Caitlyn Harper also dropped double-digit points, with 12 to go with four boards, three steals and a block.

🌠 Britney Thomas had an entire game worth of stats just in the fourth quarter, she's our Player of the Game today!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/VhMELS9TMb
— California Baptist Women's Basketball (@CBUwbb) December 19, 2021

The Lancers scored the opening bucket of the contest on an easy fastbreak layup by Harper, but would hit a cold streak for much of the quarter following that. Despite going on two separate 8-0 runs in the second quarter, CBU would go into halftime trailing by nine.

The Lancers go on an 8-0 run in the second to cut into the Bronco lead. Harper currently leads all scorers with eight!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/lkV9oKroHC
— California Baptist Women's Basketball (@CBUwbb) December 18, 2021

Whatever Head Coach Jarrod Olson said in the locker room was heard loud and clear as the Lancers began the second half with four points in the first 20 seconds. Harper connected on a short jumper, stole the half-court pass, and assisted on an Olaeta layup.

Defensively, CBU showed out in the third quarter, collecting seven steals to go with three blocks. Unfortunately, the Lancers could not pair it with the necessary offense, as they headed into the fourth trailing 40-32.

Eventually that defense became offense as CBU started the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run to take its first lead since 2-0 to start the game. Thomas put the team on her back in the final frame, scoring all 16 of her points in the fourth.

👀👀 The Lancers have their first lead since 2-0 after Brittany Klaman hits her first three of the game! CBU opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/k69qYfEJjA
— California Baptist Women's Basketball (@CBUwbb) December 18, 2021

Neither team shot particularly well in the contest, both putting it in at a sub 30 percent clip. The Broncos shot 17-67 (25.4 percent) from the field and 5-23 (21.7) from three-point range, while the Lancers were slightly better overall at 18-62 (29.0) but not so from beyond the arc at 5-34 (14.7). Santa Clara committed just five turnovers in the first half, but were forced into 11 in the second half, resulting in the Lancers collecting 11 points off turnovers.

UP NEXT
The Lancers will take on their final non-conference opponent on Tuesday, Dec. 21, as they travel to San Luis Obispo to take on Cal Poly. Game time is set for 1 p.m.