Reflecting On Women's Basketball's Transcendent Season - A Season In Review
4/29/2021 10:15:00 AM | Women's Basketball
RIVERSIDE – The 2020-21 California Baptist University women's basketball team had three goals when the season started: win the conference regular-season title, win the conference tournament and advance in a postseason tournament.
To say the Lancers accomplished their goals would be a disservice to their actual achievements. They won the Western Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles and a pair of games in the WNIT Postseason, but this team managed to do more than just that along the way.
After a 2019-20 season that was riddled with injuries and ended with confusion and uncertainty, it was impossible to know what the new season would bring. Cautious optimism was prominent as Britney Thomas and Caitlyn Harper were both back and healthy, while seven new teammates joined a solid core of returners.
Ultimately, a 26-1 season record would become a national talking point as well as a benchmark in the department's transition into becoming a full NCAA Division I member institution. The Lancers maintained the nation's longest active win streak for most of the season, finally surpassing inactive Princeton at 22-0 on February 21, to claim sole ownership of that title. CBU also cracked the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll for the first time in program history, eventually moving all the way up to number five in the poll heading into the WNIT.
Midway through the conference season run, the Lancers would host perennial WAC powerhouse NM State, drubbing the Aggies 94-53 in the first game of the back-to-back series. That win would be much more than win number 15 in-a-row as it would mark Head Coach Jarrod Olson's 200th career victory at CBU. The win came in just the 270th contest under his leadership, giving Olson a Lancer career winning percentage of 74.1 at the time, a mark that would improve to 74.8 come the end of the season.
REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS
February 20 would mark the date that the Lancers would check-off their first goal as a 15-point win over Grand Canyon guaranteed the program's first outright WAC regular-season championship. The Lancers would clinch the WAC's first-ever undefeated regular season record the following weekend after sweeping Seattle U on the road.
Regular-season awards were plentiful for arguably the best team in conference history. The Lancers earned top honors as Ane Olaeta was named the WAC Player of the Year after averaging 7.8 assists-per-game, which led the league by a wide margin. Olson earned his second WAC Coach of the Year plaque, having previously won for his leadership during the 2018-19 season in which he led the Lancers to a second-place finish in the conference in just their first season at the D-I level.
Thomas took home a pair of honors as she was named to the WAC First Team and All-Defensive Team. Harper was named Second Team All-WAC, she was the only non-full time starter named to First or Second team, a tribute to her talent and impact off the bench. Finally, Nicole Avila-Ambrosi, the fourth leading scorer and second-best three-pointer sniper for CBU in her debut season, was named to the WAC All-Newcomer team.
WAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
With the number one seed firmly in-hand, the Lancers earned a first-round bye in their inaugural trip to WACVegas for the conference tournament. Unfazed by the fact that they could not obtain the WAC automatic qualifier bid to the NCAA Tournament due to their transition status, the Lancers won their games against NM State and GCU by an average margin of victory of 21.5 points, which earned them the right to cut down the nets for a second time this season.
Harper was rewarded with the Tournament MVP award after she averaged 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in Las Vegas. Tiena Neale was named to the All-Tournament team after scoring a career-high 21 points and five made 3-pointers in the championship game.
As institutionally impactful as that 24-0 run and double-conference championships were for the team, it also was a nationally significant accomplishment within NCAA women's basketball. CBU joined exclusive company in UConn, Baylor, and Notre Dame as the only schools since 1998 to win both its regular season and tournament championships while remaining undefeated.
Now forever listed alongside some of the sport's most elite programs, national media attention followed shortly after. A Sports Illustrated piece began the media wave that soon be followed by the Associated Press, USA Today, LA Times, KCAL 9, and NBC LA.
MARCHING ONTO FORT WORTH
Since a trip to San Antonio for the NCAA Women's Tournament was out of the question, the Lancers received and accepted an invitation to participate in the WNIT. Once the NCAA field was set, the WNIT fleshed out its own bracket, placing the Lancers in the Fort Worth Region amongst some tough competition.
In the opening game for the Lancers, Harper led CBU against New Mexico, with 25 points and nine rebounds in a 90-85 win. She was followed closely by Thomas, who scored 22 points and reached double-double status with 10 rebounds. Olaeta also notched a double-double, going for 11 points and nearly doubling her season average by dishing out a career-high 14 assists.
The Lancers followed that game with a record setting performance against the University of San Francisco. CBU shot a record 63.3 percent (31-49) from the field against the Dons, led by a perfect game from Thomas, who went 10-10 from the field and 6-7 from the charity stripe. The previous single tournament game shooting record was held by South Carolina, which shot 61.8 percent in a game back in 2007.
The quarterfinal game against Rice would prove to be the end of the fabled 2020-21 season as the Lancers would fall to the eventual WNIT champion Owls, 79-55. Harper and Thomas would be named to the WNIT All-Region team, while Olaeta missed that final game with an injury.
COACH OF THE YEAR X2
Shortly after the conclusion of play, College Insider would once again bestow recognition upon the Lancer program, this time by naming Olson the 2020-21 Kay Yow Coach Of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to the Division I women's head coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court.
Once the season was officially closed, the final accomplishments for the CBU women's basketball team became clear. Olaeta, Thomas, and the collective team would rank among the nation's best in multiple categories.
THE NATION'S BEST
Olaeta closed out the 2020-21 season with a CBU all-time single season record 7.8 assists-per-game, which also placed her on top of the NCAA rankings for the same category. The senior from the Basque Country also finished with the second most total assists in Division I with 196. Thomas ranked second in the NCAA in field goal percentage, shooting an astounding 66.5 percent from the field. She was also the only player in the country to shoot 90 percent or better in multiple games, doing so in the first and second rounds of the WNIT first going 10-11 (90.9) against New Mexico before following that up with a perfect 10-10 effort against San Francisco in game two.
"Britney and Ane's numbers are evidence of connectivity. The team trusted and depended on each other and became greater than themselves when they played together, and we saw them reach levels they wouldn't have reached on their own because they were willing to sacrifice and play as a group," Olson explained. "Maybe that's the one word to describe this team -- selflessness. The way they approached this season with the mindset that when they put their teammates first, they got so much more out of it themselves."
The team also came together to claim some high cumulative marks in the NCAA statistical lists. The Lancers led the nation in assists-per-game, averaging 21.3 dimes per contest. But the category that impressed Coach Olson the most was the team's improvement on the defensive end. CBU ended 2020-21 with the highest average defensive rebounding clip at 33.1 per game, the fifth best defensive three-point field goal percentage, allowing just 25.1 percent, and the third-best defensive field goal mark, permitting just 33.2 percent shooting from opponents.
"Being third in defensive field goal percentage is probably the stat I'm most proud of because of how we struggled defensively last season and that was a big jump for us statistically," said Olson. "We made a big shift from last year in terms of defensive style, so that number was a direct result of the style we chose to play and the validation that it was a good choice. That also helped the team buy in when they see that it's us, Baylor, and Stanford at the top, those are some really great defensive teams."
THEY'LL BE BACK
With the extra COVID waiver year available to all players this season, the Lancers are currently planning on returning the bulk of their team, including all three seniors. They will be joined by three new freshmen recruits in Jaelyn Acker, Mia Morel, and Trinity San Antonio and one transfer, Naomi Yim, a junior from Loyola Marymount.
To say the Lancers accomplished their goals would be a disservice to their actual achievements. They won the Western Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles and a pair of games in the WNIT Postseason, but this team managed to do more than just that along the way.
You're never ready for a season to end. It's been one for the record books. We've enjoyed it with you, Lancer Nation.
🔹26-1 Overall Record
🔹Undefeated Regular Season
🔹WAC Champions
🔹First DI Postseason Wins
Reply with a word of appreciation for the team!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/P84cvLi4zZ— California Baptist Women's Basketball (@CBUwbb) March 23, 2021
After a 2019-20 season that was riddled with injuries and ended with confusion and uncertainty, it was impossible to know what the new season would bring. Cautious optimism was prominent as Britney Thomas and Caitlyn Harper were both back and healthy, while seven new teammates joined a solid core of returners.
Ultimately, a 26-1 season record would become a national talking point as well as a benchmark in the department's transition into becoming a full NCAA Division I member institution. The Lancers maintained the nation's longest active win streak for most of the season, finally surpassing inactive Princeton at 22-0 on February 21, to claim sole ownership of that title. CBU also cracked the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll for the first time in program history, eventually moving all the way up to number five in the poll heading into the WNIT.
Midway through the conference season run, the Lancers would host perennial WAC powerhouse NM State, drubbing the Aggies 94-53 in the first game of the back-to-back series. That win would be much more than win number 15 in-a-row as it would mark Head Coach Jarrod Olson's 200th career victory at CBU. The win came in just the 270th contest under his leadership, giving Olson a Lancer career winning percentage of 74.1 at the time, a mark that would improve to 74.8 come the end of the season.
⭐️2⃣0⃣0⃣⭐️
Congratulations Jarrod Olson on win #200 as Head Coach for the Lancers! Coach Olson's win percentage of 74.1 is by far the best mark in program history!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/GSUgVDReDt— California Baptist Women's Basketball (@CBUwbb) February 6, 2021
REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS
February 20 would mark the date that the Lancers would check-off their first goal as a 15-point win over Grand Canyon guaranteed the program's first outright WAC regular-season championship. The Lancers would clinch the WAC's first-ever undefeated regular season record the following weekend after sweeping Seattle U on the road.
Mission accomplished, but the journey continues. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/OJoqMVKUUn— California Baptist Women's Basketball (@CBUwbb) February 22, 2021
Regular-season awards were plentiful for arguably the best team in conference history. The Lancers earned top honors as Ane Olaeta was named the WAC Player of the Year after averaging 7.8 assists-per-game, which led the league by a wide margin. Olson earned his second WAC Coach of the Year plaque, having previously won for his leadership during the 2018-19 season in which he led the Lancers to a second-place finish in the conference in just their first season at the D-I level.
Thomas took home a pair of honors as she was named to the WAC First Team and All-Defensive Team. Harper was named Second Team All-WAC, she was the only non-full time starter named to First or Second team, a tribute to her talent and impact off the bench. Finally, Nicole Avila-Ambrosi, the fourth leading scorer and second-best three-pointer sniper for CBU in her debut season, was named to the WAC All-Newcomer team.
WAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
With the number one seed firmly in-hand, the Lancers earned a first-round bye in their inaugural trip to WACVegas for the conference tournament. Unfazed by the fact that they could not obtain the WAC automatic qualifier bid to the NCAA Tournament due to their transition status, the Lancers won their games against NM State and GCU by an average margin of victory of 21.5 points, which earned them the right to cut down the nets for a second time this season.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!#LanceUp⚔️ | #WACVegas pic.twitter.com/oqxFhZHJNS— California Baptist Women's Basketball (@CBUwbb) March 13, 2021
Harper was rewarded with the Tournament MVP award after she averaged 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in Las Vegas. Tiena Neale was named to the All-Tournament team after scoring a career-high 21 points and five made 3-pointers in the championship game.
As institutionally impactful as that 24-0 run and double-conference championships were for the team, it also was a nationally significant accomplishment within NCAA women's basketball. CBU joined exclusive company in UConn, Baylor, and Notre Dame as the only schools since 1998 to win both its regular season and tournament championships while remaining undefeated.
Now forever listed alongside some of the sport's most elite programs, national media attention followed shortly after. A Sports Illustrated piece began the media wave that soon be followed by the Associated Press, USA Today, LA Times, KCAL 9, and NBC LA.
MARCHING ONTO FORT WORTH
Since a trip to San Antonio for the NCAA Women's Tournament was out of the question, the Lancers received and accepted an invitation to participate in the WNIT. Once the NCAA field was set, the WNIT fleshed out its own bracket, placing the Lancers in the Fort Worth Region amongst some tough competition.
WE'RE HEADED TO TEXAS! #LanceUp⚔️ | #WNIT |#NCAAW pic.twitter.com/UgP5lPhQrt— California Baptist Women's Basketball (@CBUwbb) March 16, 2021
In the opening game for the Lancers, Harper led CBU against New Mexico, with 25 points and nine rebounds in a 90-85 win. She was followed closely by Thomas, who scored 22 points and reached double-double status with 10 rebounds. Olaeta also notched a double-double, going for 11 points and nearly doubling her season average by dishing out a career-high 14 assists.
The Lancers followed that game with a record setting performance against the University of San Francisco. CBU shot a record 63.3 percent (31-49) from the field against the Dons, led by a perfect game from Thomas, who went 10-10 from the field and 6-7 from the charity stripe. The previous single tournament game shooting record was held by South Carolina, which shot 61.8 percent in a game back in 2007.
The quarterfinal game against Rice would prove to be the end of the fabled 2020-21 season as the Lancers would fall to the eventual WNIT champion Owls, 79-55. Harper and Thomas would be named to the WNIT All-Region team, while Olaeta missed that final game with an injury.
COACH OF THE YEAR X2
Shortly after the conclusion of play, College Insider would once again bestow recognition upon the Lancer program, this time by naming Olson the 2020-21 Kay Yow Coach Of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to the Division I women's head coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court.
March 31, 2021
BOSTON, MA -- California Baptist head coach Jarrod Olson is the recipient of the 2021 Kay Yow award, which is presented annually to the top coach in women's division I college basketball.
🏆 FULL RELEASE: https://t.co/C2ZywNs7dT pic.twitter.com/BM3RvK89ei— College Insider Inc. (@collegeinsider) March 31, 2021
Once the season was officially closed, the final accomplishments for the CBU women's basketball team became clear. Olaeta, Thomas, and the collective team would rank among the nation's best in multiple categories.
THE NATION'S BEST
Olaeta closed out the 2020-21 season with a CBU all-time single season record 7.8 assists-per-game, which also placed her on top of the NCAA rankings for the same category. The senior from the Basque Country also finished with the second most total assists in Division I with 196. Thomas ranked second in the NCAA in field goal percentage, shooting an astounding 66.5 percent from the field. She was also the only player in the country to shoot 90 percent or better in multiple games, doing so in the first and second rounds of the WNIT first going 10-11 (90.9) against New Mexico before following that up with a perfect 10-10 effort against San Francisco in game two.
"Britney and Ane's numbers are evidence of connectivity. The team trusted and depended on each other and became greater than themselves when they played together, and we saw them reach levels they wouldn't have reached on their own because they were willing to sacrifice and play as a group," Olson explained. "Maybe that's the one word to describe this team -- selflessness. The way they approached this season with the mindset that when they put their teammates first, they got so much more out of it themselves."
The team also came together to claim some high cumulative marks in the NCAA statistical lists. The Lancers led the nation in assists-per-game, averaging 21.3 dimes per contest. But the category that impressed Coach Olson the most was the team's improvement on the defensive end. CBU ended 2020-21 with the highest average defensive rebounding clip at 33.1 per game, the fifth best defensive three-point field goal percentage, allowing just 25.1 percent, and the third-best defensive field goal mark, permitting just 33.2 percent shooting from opponents.
"Being third in defensive field goal percentage is probably the stat I'm most proud of because of how we struggled defensively last season and that was a big jump for us statistically," said Olson. "We made a big shift from last year in terms of defensive style, so that number was a direct result of the style we chose to play and the validation that it was a good choice. That also helped the team buy in when they see that it's us, Baylor, and Stanford at the top, those are some really great defensive teams."
THEY'LL BE BACK
With the extra COVID waiver year available to all players this season, the Lancers are currently planning on returning the bulk of their team, including all three seniors. They will be joined by three new freshmen recruits in Jaelyn Acker, Mia Morel, and Trinity San Antonio and one transfer, Naomi Yim, a junior from Loyola Marymount.
Family.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/HufvGj2sQ0— California Baptist Women's Basketball (@CBUwbb) April 6, 2021
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