BOX SCORE
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- Biola sophomore forward Megann Alberts could break all sorts of national records if the Eagles could just play all of their games against Cal Baptist. Alberts scored 33 points on 14-of-16 shooting to lead Biola to a much-needed 95-90 victory over the Lancers on Saturday night in Riverside.
The Eagles, who snap a three-game losing streak with the win, move to 10-14 on the season. In the GSAC, they sit in seventh place, but are just two games behind the two teams tied for fourth place.
Cal Baptist drops to 13-11 on the year and a game behind Biola at 5-10 in the GSAC.
Alberts, who scored a career-high 36 points the last time these two teams met, continued to prove unstoppable against the Lancers, but her teammates had strong nights as well.
Leading the supporting cast was senior guard Rochelle Rausch, who had a season-high 23 points--including 17 in the first half. Rachel Dulin came off the bench to scored 15 points and added five assists while freshman guard Chelsea De Luca recorded eight assists and five rebounds.
With two high-powered teams taking the court, it was no suprise that there were 10 lead changes and nine ties. Both teams also held large leads in the game with Biola leading by 13 in teh first half and Cal Baptist holding a 10-point edge in the second.
The Eagles got off to a great start, jumping out to a 16-4 lead just five minutes in. They stretched that lead to as many as 13 at 28-15 before the Lancers went on a 19-4 run to take a 34-32 lead with 6:31 left before the half.
Biola would stretch the lead back to eight, but a short run and a long three-pointer at the buzzer by Megan Bradford would help Cal Baptist cut the lead to 49-46 at the half.
In the second half, the Lancers started to pull away and a layup by Nicole Davis would give CBU a 73-63 lead with 10:00 remaining. But Biola, wouldn't let the game get away from them as so many have in the past. The Eagles used a quick 12-2 run to tie the score at 75-75, beginning a see-saw battle until the final buzzer.
Cal Baptist would take the lead at 86-85 on a jumper by Davis with 1:47 remaining and get a shot of momentum after a block by Paris Michel with 1:33 left. However, Rachel Dulin drained her fourth three-pointer of the game to give Biola an 88-86 lead it would not relinquish.
Five players scored in double-figures for the Lancers, led by Nicole Davis' 23 points and nine assists. Erin Greenberg added 15 points and Jessica Fisiikava contributed 14 points off the bench.
Biola shot a blistering 67-percent from the field in the first half (22-for-33) and finished the game with a season-high shooting percentage of 56.9.
The Eagles play one of their biggest games of the season on Tuesday (Feb. 13) as they travel to Westmont College for a 5:30 p.m. GSAC contest. The Warriors are one of two teams tied for fourth place in the conference standings at 8-7. The game features two of the best post players in the conference in Alberts (19.0 ppg-5th GSAC, 10.1 rpg-1st) and Westmont's Ali Mooty (18.5-6th GSAC, 9.4 rpg-2nd).
