EDINBURG, TX - California Baptist University women's basketball pushed their current winning streak to five straight on Saturday afternoon after handling the UTRGV Vaqueros in Edinburg, 72-58. The win moves CBU's record to 24-3 (16-2 WAC), combined with Grand Canyons loss to Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, has pushed the Lancers into a tie for first in the Western Athletic Conference regular season standings with just two games left on the schedule.
Nae Nae Calhoun led the Lancers with the game's only double-double, scoring 13 while matching her career high with ten rebounds and three steals. Chloe Webb battled foul trouble but still managed a game-high 19 points, and Kinsley Barrington was the third and final Lancer with double-digit scoring with 14 points. Filipa Barros added six points but contributed in bigger ways with a game-high 12 rebounds and matching Anaiyah Tu'ua for the most assists in the game with half a dozen.
For the third game in a row and the thirteenth time this season, CBU connected on 10 or more three-pointers (11-38). Coming into Saturday's game, the Lancers ranked fifth in Division I in three-pointers made per game at 9.8 and fourth in the country in three-point attempts per game at 30.0.
UTRGV hung with CBU throughout the first half, leading 21-20 in the second quarter before the Lancers rattled off a 7-0 run over the next two minutes of action to take a lead they would never relinquish. Eventually, the Lancers would take a 12-point lead into the locker room at halftime.
The second half saw a noticeably slower and more methodical game as the Vaqueros attempted to slow things down and knock the Lancers out of their rhythm. The plan half-worked as CBU only managed 26 points in the second half total, the same amount they scored in the second quarter alone. However, the Vaqueros only scored 24 points in the second half and were held to just eight in the fourth quarter on 4-18 shooting while going 0-10 from distance.
The Lancers are scheduled for home and away games to close the regular season. First, they will host their home finale against UTRGV, serving as Senior Night for those Lancers playing in their final home game. That game could still serve a bigger purpose, as a win against the Lady Mavs would clinch at least a share of the WAC regular season title. That game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at the Fowler Events Center.
