California Baptist University
17-10,11-3WAC
Utah Valley University
12-12,5-8WAC
CBU's Fourth Quarter Rally Falls Short to Utah Valley in Riverside
2/18/2026 9:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University women's basketball team suffered its third conference loss on Wednesday night, falling 63-61 to the visiting Utah Valley Wolverines in the final minutes.
The loss drops the Lancers to 11-3 in the Western Athletic Conference standings as they cling to a half-game lead over Abilene Christian as the regular season nears its conclusion. Meanwhile, Utah Valley improves to 5-8 with the win and is currently in fifth place in the standings.
Offense was at a premium in the first quarter of play as both teams combined to make ten total field goals, with UVU leading 16-9 after ten minutes of action. The defenses of both teams were aggressive from the opening tip, forcing 24 turnovers in the first half alone. CBU's foul trouble was a looming storyline for the first half, with both Emma Johansson and Lauren Olsen picking up three. CBU's defense turned it up a notch in the second quarter, holding the Wolverines to just seven points in the frame to tie the game at 23 at the half.
CBU would score the opening six points of the second half to force Utah Valley to burn a quick timeout as the Lancers took their largest lead of the game. UVU would storm back in a big way over the next couple of minutes, going on a 17-0 run led by its stingy defense, which would give the Wolverines their largest lead of the game at 40-29. Olsen would stop the bleeding with a quick layup, and then a Filipa Barros triple on the final possession of the third quarter would bring CBU within six points heading into the fourth quarter.
Both offenses heated up significantly in the fourth quarter, as the two teams combined for 50 points in the frame. CBU would tie the game just two minutes into the period off an Emma Johansson triple, and then a 9-0 run would give CBU a 54-49 lead with 4:52 to play. Utah Valley hung around and would eventually retake the lead off free throws with 1:19 to play at 59-58. Olsen would hit a clutch triple from the corner to give CBU the lead right back with 1:07 to go, but the Wolverines would tie it right back up off a tough layup in the paint with 43 seconds on the clock. CBU would turn the ball over on the ensuing possession, which would lead to UVU scoring a quick layup after a brief timeout. With 18 seconds remaining, the Lancers had a chance to tie or win the game, but a tough UVU defense came up with the stop to win 63-61.
Turnovers were the bugaboo for the Lancers in the loss, as they committed 24, which led to 26 UVU points. The Wolverines came into the contest top five in the nation in forced turnovers and steals, and would flex that ranking in this game. Scoring-wise, Lauren Olsen led the way with 18 points on seven made field goals, while Filipa Barros flirted with a triple-double with a line of ten points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Emma Johansson would contribute 11 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
NEXT: The Lancers will embark on a three-game Texas road trip beginning on Thursday, February 26, against UT Arlington, as the race for the regular-season title heats up in the WAC.
