Lancers Secure Top-Four Finish in GCC, Advance to Conference Tournament on Final Day of Regular Season

Saturday, April 17

San Diego

12 PM

California Baptist University

San Diego State

California Baptist

San Diego State

Lancers Secure Top-Four Finish in GCC, Advance to Conference Tournament on Final Day of Regular Season

4/17/2021 3:13:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

SAN DIEGO – California Baptist University women's water polo secured itself its third top-four finish in the Golden Coast Conference on the final day of the regular season.

The 17^th-ranked Lancers got off to a strong start but ultimately came up short against 14^th-ranked San Diego State on a score of 16-9 in their regular-season finale at the Aztec Aquaplex on Saturday. Nevertheless, CBU got the help it needed from the rest of the league to secure a top-four finish in the GCC this season and a berth to the four-team conference tournament next weekend.

Eight different Lancers scored on Saturday. Senior Amy Branch led the team with two goals, while Kira O'Donell finished with a goal, assist and two drawn ejections. Katie Fugit, Madison East, Morgan Baker, Vicky Martinez, Nicole Rhoads and Abby Mammen each scored, as well. Senior goalie Kyra Foley logged eight saves in the game for CBU, including one on a five-meter penalty shot.

CBU wraps up the regular season with a 5-10, 3-4 in conference record. It is the third time the Lancers have finished top four in the GCC since it joined the conference in 2014 and the first time since 2016 when they took a program-best third.

San Diego State ends up at 7-13 and 6-1 in conference to create a three-way tie for first place in the GCC regular-season standings with Fresno State (10-5, 6-1) and Pacific (9-5, 6-1).

Coming into Saturday, CBU knew there were a few paths it could take to the GCC Championship. Once a win was out of the question, the Lancers needed a Loyola Marymount loss and Azusa Pacific win to create a three-way tiebreaker for fourth place in conference standings.

The Lions dropped an 8-7 home game to Pacific and APU pulled out a 12-6 home victory over Concordia to stamp CBU's ticket to the GCC Championships shortly into the Lancers' contest in San Diego.

CBU holds the three-way tiebreaker with LMU and APU by virtue of victory between those three. CBU defeated Azusa Pacific 15-9 and lost to LMU 11-10, which gives it a five-goal margin of victory. APU has a minus two goal margin of victory after its 12-8 win over LMU and six-goal loss to CBU, while the Lions have a minus three goal margin of victory with their loss to the Cougars and one-goal win over the Lancers.

UP NEXT
The 2021 GCC Championships will take place next April 23-24 at the University of the Pacific. The Lancers will face top-seeded Fresno State on Friday, April 23 at a time yet to be announced.