RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University women's basketball team closed out the calendar year with a 72-58 victory over the Texas Southern Tigers on Thursday afternoon behind a dominant performance on the glass.

CBU picks up its third win of the season and its first in the confines of the Dale E. & Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center as it prepares for the Western Athletic Conference schedule, which is right around the corner.

Anaiyah Tu'ua was the driving force in the Lancers' opening quarter, scoring nearly half of CBU's points. Tu'ua scored ten points on 4-5 shooting in the frame as the Lancers and Tigers traded buckets through ten minutes of action. CBU continued to put distance between themselves and Texas Southern in the second quarter, culminating in the largest lead of the ballgame up until that point at 48-35 courtesy of a Nhug Bosch Duran triple in the waning seconds of the half. Duran was a welcome sight in the rotation after the star guard missed the previous two games with an injury and provided 14 points off the pine.

The Lancers expanded its lead to 16 in the opening portion of the third period before the Tigers would mount a small comeback to slash the lead down to six points at 55-49. CBU would get the advantage back to double figures on the ensuing couple of possessions, but the Tigers showed some fight and would cut that deficit in half heading into the final period. CBU's toughness was on full display in the fourth quarter, hauling in 20 of its 34 total rebounds in the period and holding Texas Soutehrn to 1-17 shooting. Grace Schmidt was a large part of the rebounding prowess, hauling in seven of her career-high 17 in the frame. CBU closed out the game with efficient free throw shooting to ride out the 72-58 result.

Schmidt was the story on both ends, finishing with a game-high 22 points and hauling in 17 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Three Lancers tied for the second most points in the game with 14, including Duran, Claudia Fiel, and Tu'ua. Nia Anderson was also a force on the glass for the Lancers, grabbing 12 boards for a new career-high. The Lancers would outrebound the Tigers 59-38, which is not only the most rebounds the team has had in a game this season but also the largest rebound disparity of the season.

The next game for the Lancers will be the conference opener on Saturday, January 4, at 1 PM in Seattle, Washington, against the Redhawks.