O'Donell's Career Night Leads CBU to a Win at Bruno Classic

Friday, February 4

Providence, R.I.

2 PM

California Baptist University

2-5

Brown

2-3

California Baptist

Brown

O'Donell's Career Night Leads CBU to a Win at Bruno Classic

2/4/2022 9:48:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

PROVIDENCE – Kira O'Donell erupted for a six-goal performance to lead California Baptist University women's water polo to a win on the opening day of the Bruno Classic.

The 24^th-ranked Lancers defeated La Salle 13-11 behind O'Donell's fourth career sixth-goal game. They ended up splitting the day after their comeback fell short to the host Brown Bears, 12-10, to open Friday.

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It brings CBU's record to 3-5 as it has now won three of its last four games. Both Brown and La Salle are receiving votes in the NCAA polls, with the Bears essentially ranked 26^th in the country. The Lancers close out the Bruno Classic with a pair of ranked games at Harvard. They'll face No. 14 Wagner at 10:30 a.m. Pacific and then the No. 22 Crimson at 2 p.m.

O'Donell and Jamie Hutton both had big days for the Lancers. Each scored a team-high seven goals, while Hutton had 11 points on four assists to go with two drawn ejections and two field blocks. O'Donell also had three assists, five drawn ejections, three steals and a field block.

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The Lancers had to come back in both games. After CBU's draining first game, La Salle jumped out to a 3-0 lead 30 seconds into the second quarter.

California Baptist closed out the game on a 13-8 run, but the game was still tied 8-8 halfway through the third quarter.

That's when O'Donell went off and took the Lancers on a 5-1 run. She scored three of her six goals in less than five minutes to give CBU a 12-9 lead with 6:54 to play. Hutton then scored her fourth goal to give the Lancers a comfortable 13-9 advantage with 5:38 to go.

O'Donell finished with the six goals, two steals, an assist and drawn ejection in the game. Hutton put up eight points on four goals, four assists and also drew two ejections.

Vicky Martinez also had two goals and three drawn ejections in the game. Kyndall Burrell had two assists, a goal and a steal in the game. Ava Ratajczak logged 10 saves, an assist and steal as the true freshman now has double-digit saves in both games she's played.

In Friday's opener, CBU fought back from four-goal deficits of 6-2 and 9-5 with host Brown. The Lancers ended the game on an 8-6 and 5-3 run, but the Bears managed to just hold for the 12-10 win – aided by an 11-6 advantage in six-on-five opportunities.

Hutton led California Baptist with her second hat trick in as many games, while Taylor Frandsen and Dora Lehoczky both scored twice in the loss. It was good for the first two goals of Lehoczky's career in what was her collegiate debut.

Dora Lehoczky shows off the lob for her second goal of the game.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/U6kuVAlQoU
— California Baptist Women's Water Polo (@LancersWWP) February 4, 2022

A 4-1 run brought CBU back within a goal, 10-9, a minute into the fourth quarter as Celeste Almendariz dropped in a beautiful goal from deep. The Bears scored the next two goals, though, to ice the game and take a 12-9 lead with five minutes to play.

O'Donell had four drawn ejections, two assists, a goal and a steal in the game. Almendariz also had a goal, assist and drawn ejection. True freshman Cayleigh Carter had two assists and two steals from center defender. Madison Gerg finished with seven saves and two assists in the game.