RIVERSIDE, Calif. - A driving layup with 2.3 seconds left capped off an 11-point fourth quarter for Daylani Ballena as she led the Southern Utah University Women's Basketball team to an impressive 64-63 comeback win over the California Baptist University on Jan. 25. The Western Athletic Conference win hoists the Thunderbirds to a 2-4 conference record and 4-15 record overall, while the Lancers drop to an even 3-3 WAC record and 6-14 overall.
Head Coach Tracy Mason Said:
"Super proud of our toughness today. We fought hard to come back and stuck in it today when we got down. Dayla and Syd made some huge plays, and Lexi was an absolute beast on the boards."
Top T-Birds
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Daylani Ballena's monster game included a season-high 20 points, as well as five rebounds and five assists.
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Lexi Bull recorded an impressive double-double, reeling in a career-high 16 boards and 10 points.
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With 11 points in the second half, Sydney Gandy contributed four three-pointers and 14 total points.
Game Recap
First Half
Southern Utah's offense jumped to an aggressive start, with Ava Uhrich, Samantha Johnston and Sydney Gandy all scoring early triples. While Cal Baptist's attack kept them close behind, the Thunderbirds continued scoring to go up 19-15 before the next period.
The Lancers took their first lead of the game opening the second, but a steal from Uhrich led to a Daylani Ballena score to tie the game back up. The momentum swayed back and forth for the rest of the quarter, with CBU pulling ahead to a 35-32 lead at halftime.
Second Half
Gandy started the third quarter with a three-pointer, but Cal Baptist pulled away to a 51-41 lead as SUU's offense struggled.
The Thunderbirds flipped the script in the fourth, as another three from Gandy and more scores from Ballena cut the Lancer lead to six. Southern Utah caught fire, putting the pressure on the Lancers and pushing to a one-point game with less than a minute remaining. As the clock ticked down to three seconds, Ballena drove the lane to make one final layup, taking a 64-63 lead to win the game.
Highlights
Up Next
The Thunderbirds will return home to battle the University of Texas at Arlington Mavericks on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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