RIVERSIDE - California Baptist University women's basketball has played a dozen home games this season and made it to 12-0 tonight after downing Abilene Christian by a score of 70-58 in the Dale E. & Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center. The Lancers are one of just 15 Division I programs to still be undefeated at home this season and are one of just nine to win 12 or more at this point of the schedule.
CBU improves to 21-3 overall and 13-2 in the Western Athletic Conference, still half a game back of Grand Canyon, who defeated Tarleton State earlier on Thursday. Chloe Webb led the charge offensively and hit her season average on the nose with 22 points tonight, complimented by seven boards and three steals. Nae Nae Calhoun kept up her hot streak, posting arguably the most impressive stat line of the contest with 15 points, nine assists, five steals, four rebounds, and a block. Kinsley Barrington was the third and final Lancer to break into double-figures against ACU, putting up 12 points while grabbing seven rebounds.
The Cats came out firing from distance, going 5-11 from beyond the arc in the opening quarter. The Lancers were not as locked in to begin the game, going just 2-7 in the opening 10 minutes but closing the frame on a 7-0 run to reach a score of 18-18 at the first break. CBU began to pull away in the second, putting up another 7-0 run to take a lead they would never give back. The Lancers would take a four-point lead into halftime after pulling ACU's shooting back down to Earth, allowing them just four field goals in the period and just one from distance.
CBU blew the game open in the third, building a 19-point cushion midway through the quarter, led by Webb scoring 10 of her game-high 22. The Wildcats would technically win the fourth quarter, outscoring CBU 19-17, but the difference was too much to make up, especially when ACU couldn't get a rally going due to the Lancers going 11-12 from the free throw line.
The starters were the stars on Thursday night, as those ten accounted for 89% of all the points scored. Where CBU thrived was capitalizing on the Cat's miscues, scoring 26 points off of 23 ACU turnovers. The Lancer speed was also too much to handle on this occasion as CBU outscored ACU 19-4 in the fast break category.
The Lancers are home again on Saturday, hosting the Texans of Tarleton State. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Fowler Events Center.
