Saturday, March 6
Seattle
3 PM
California Baptist University
22-0,14-0WAC
62
at
46
Seattle U
11-13,6-8WAC
1
2
3
4
F
California Baptist
20
19
10
13
62
Seattle U
8
17
13
8
46
CBU Women’s Basketball Completes Perfect Regular Season; Continues to Chase History as Top Seed at WAC Tournament
3/6/2021 7:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE – California Baptist University women's basketball finished its perfect regular season on Saturday when it completed its seventh conference series sweep by defeating Seattle U, 62-46, to reach 22-0 overall and 14-0 in Western Athletic Conference play.
The Lancers are the latest program in women's college basketball to go undefeated in the regular season with Mississippi State and UConn to be the last to do it in 2017-18. Entering the season, only 23 teams had gone undefeated in the regular season since 1982, the year that the NCAA began overseeing and coordinating the postseason NCAA Tournament. CBU is now No. 24 on the list.
Additionally, the Lancers are now just the sixth team in WAC history to record a perfect conference run and they are the first WAC member to ever complete the entire regular season unblemished. Their nation's best win-streak also improved to 25 games in-a-row, now book-ended with victories at Seattle U.
Now that CBU turns its attention to the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas, the Lancers are looking for a pair of wins to claim the league's postseason championship. CBU will open play on Friday at 11 a.m. as the top seed and will face the Wednesday winner of No. 4 seed NM State and No. 5 seed Seattle U. The championship game is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. All tournament games will be shown on ESPN+ in the United States and on the WAC Digital Network internationally. The CBU Radio Network will broadcast all of the CBU games with free audio streaming at CBULancers.com with Braiden Bell on the calls from Vegas.
Though they will not be recognized officially by the NCAA due to the current four-year transition, the Lancers finished their regular season among the nation's best in multiple categories. As a team, CBU ranks second in field goal defense (32.0 percent), third in assists-per-game (21.2) and three-point field goal defense (23.7), and are tied for the ninth best scoring margin (+18.1 ppg). Individually, Ane Olaeta finishes the regular season with 166 total assists and 7.9 assists-per-game, which both rank as the best marks in the NCAA this season. Britney Thomas will finish the regular season with a field goal percentage of 66.3 -- second best in Division I.
Saturday's game was never in doubt, as Head Coach Jarrod Olson decided to use a starting lineup never before seen by Lancer fans, which included all 12-feet-2-inches of Thomas and Caitlyn Harper together when the opening horn sounded. The duo each played eight of the 10 minutes in the opening frame, which resulted in the Redhawks going just 3-15 from the floor and scoring just eight points. The Harper (10 points, nine rebounds) and Thomas (eight points, eight rebounds) tandem would combine for 18 points and 17 rebounds.
Tiena Neale would spark the CBU offense, scoring 10 of her season-high 17 points in the first quarter on 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Neale would finish the game with four rebounds and three steals, as well. Neale, Harper, and Thomas would score the Lancers' first eight points of the game and 15 of 20 in the first quarter.
Olaeta was the final Lancer in double figures, scoring 13 points to go with five rebounds and three assists. Brittany Klaman added eight points off the bench.
The Redhawks again were stifled from the field, shooting just 23.4 percent overall and going just 4-24 (16.7 percent) from beyond the arc. SU only got within single-digits of the lead twice in the second half.
WHAT'S NEXT
The bracket for the Lancers' first-ever WAC Tournament is set, with CBU earning the top-seed in the tournament and a first-round bye. They will have to wait until Friday, March 12 at 11 a.m. for their first-ever WAC postseason game and will take on the winner of Seattle U and New Mexico State. Those two will play on Wednesday, March 10.
The Lancers are the latest program in women's college basketball to go undefeated in the regular season with Mississippi State and UConn to be the last to do it in 2017-18. Entering the season, only 23 teams had gone undefeated in the regular season since 1982, the year that the NCAA began overseeing and coordinating the postseason NCAA Tournament. CBU is now No. 24 on the list.
Additionally, the Lancers are now just the sixth team in WAC history to record a perfect conference run and they are the first WAC member to ever complete the entire regular season unblemished. Their nation's best win-streak also improved to 25 games in-a-row, now book-ended with victories at Seattle U.
Now that CBU turns its attention to the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas, the Lancers are looking for a pair of wins to claim the league's postseason championship. CBU will open play on Friday at 11 a.m. as the top seed and will face the Wednesday winner of No. 4 seed NM State and No. 5 seed Seattle U. The championship game is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. All tournament games will be shown on ESPN+ in the United States and on the WAC Digital Network internationally. The CBU Radio Network will broadcast all of the CBU games with free audio streaming at CBULancers.com with Braiden Bell on the calls from Vegas.
If California Baptist is able to take the tournament crown, CBU will be the first school to have done so since, you guessed it, UConn in 2018. UConn actually accomplished the feat of an undefeated regular season with a conference tournament championship three straight seasons (2015-16, 2016-17 & 2017-18). The last school other than UConn to do it was Notre Dame in 2013-14. Baylor also did it in 2011-12. No schools other than Baylor, Notre Dame and UConn have accomplished this since 1998 (Tennessee and Liberty).
We did it. pic.twitter.com/Jq8htHBTXF— CBU WBB 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥✂️🔥 (@CBUwbb) March 7, 2021
With as great of a season that CBU is having this year, the Lancers unfortunately will not have the opportunity to play the role of Cinderella at the NCAA Tournament later this month. If CBU is able to win the WAC Tournament, the Lancers will be the first undefeated team not to participate in the NCAA Tournament since 1983 (Oral Roberts). However, the Lancers still have a postseason opportunity as it was announced on Friday that CBU will be participating in the upcoming WNIT starting on March 19.
PERFECTION.
Entering the season, only 23 teams in women's college basketball had gone undefeated in the regular season since 1982.
Make it 24.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/knUfnGBgK5— CBU Lancers (@CBULancers) March 7, 2021
Though they will not be recognized officially by the NCAA due to the current four-year transition, the Lancers finished their regular season among the nation's best in multiple categories. As a team, CBU ranks second in field goal defense (32.0 percent), third in assists-per-game (21.2) and three-point field goal defense (23.7), and are tied for the ninth best scoring margin (+18.1 ppg). Individually, Ane Olaeta finishes the regular season with 166 total assists and 7.9 assists-per-game, which both rank as the best marks in the NCAA this season. Britney Thomas will finish the regular season with a field goal percentage of 66.3 -- second best in Division I.
Saturday's game was never in doubt, as Head Coach Jarrod Olson decided to use a starting lineup never before seen by Lancer fans, which included all 12-feet-2-inches of Thomas and Caitlyn Harper together when the opening horn sounded. The duo each played eight of the 10 minutes in the opening frame, which resulted in the Redhawks going just 3-15 from the floor and scoring just eight points. The Harper (10 points, nine rebounds) and Thomas (eight points, eight rebounds) tandem would combine for 18 points and 17 rebounds.
Caitlyn Harper out here making plays on both ends of the floor!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/KLG1meaybc— CBU WBB 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥✂️🔥 (@CBUwbb) March 7, 2021
Tiena Neale would spark the CBU offense, scoring 10 of her season-high 17 points in the first quarter on 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Neale would finish the game with four rebounds and three steals, as well. Neale, Harper, and Thomas would score the Lancers' first eight points of the game and 15 of 20 in the first quarter.
Lancers on the scoreboard first! Let's do this!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/LpQRSkdvvv— CBU WBB 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥✂️🔥 (@CBUwbb) March 6, 2021
Olaeta was the final Lancer in double figures, scoring 13 points to go with five rebounds and three assists. Brittany Klaman added eight points off the bench.
Ane makes it look so easy.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/h5zq0Qdnpg— CBU WBB 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥✂️🔥 (@CBUwbb) March 6, 2021
The Redhawks again were stifled from the field, shooting just 23.4 percent overall and going just 4-24 (16.7 percent) from beyond the arc. SU only got within single-digits of the lead twice in the second half.
WHAT'S NEXT
The bracket for the Lancers' first-ever WAC Tournament is set, with CBU earning the top-seed in the tournament and a first-round bye. They will have to wait until Friday, March 12 at 11 a.m. for their first-ever WAC postseason game and will take on the winner of Seattle U and New Mexico State. Those two will play on Wednesday, March 10.
The bracket is officially set for the 2021 @HerculesTires WAC Women's Basketball Tournament!🏆👇
— The Western Athletic Conference (@WACsports) March 7, 2021
Tune in to ESPN+ starting March 10 to catch all the action!💥📺
📰https://t.co/GsFgEUkUpw#WAChoops #WACVegas pic.twitter.com/g3Ca6anIoG
Team Stats
CBU
SU
FG%
.350
.234
3FG%
.303
.167
FT%
.769
.706
RB
50
41
TO
17
17
STL
10
12
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
W
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
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