CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah women's basketball team will close out its strong regular season with a battle against a California Baptist team that clinched the Western Athletic Conference regular season title yesterday. The Thunderbirds will need to pull out a win in the matchup on Saturday, March 7, at 2:00 p.m. if they want to remain in the running for the two seed and a postseason bye.
Head Coach Tracy Mason said:
"California Baptist has been great this season, and I don't think there's a better way to close our season out than a competitive game with them. We'll have to get in a rhythm on offense and lock in on defense in Saturday's game."
Game Details
Who: Southern Utah (19-10, 11-6 WAC) vs California Baptist (20-10, 14-3 WAC)
When: Saturday, March 7, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center, Riverside, California
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: HERE
Matchup History
- The Thunderbirds hold a 6-5 all-time record against California Baptist, having split their two prior games this season.
- In the first matchup, Southern Utah took its lone home loss of the year in an 82-77 overtime heartbreaker. Junior Ava Uhrich corralled 17 rebounds and combined with sophomore Sierra Chambers for 39 points.
- In the second showdown, SUU turned the tide to topple CBU on the road with an 85-70 statement win. Junior Brooklyn Fely pitched in a season-high 31 points to go with 13 rebounds.
The Thunderbirds
After a scorching streak, the 19-10 Thunderbirds have dropped two straight games to in-state rivals, falling to an 11-6 WAC record. A win over CBU would give them a shot of momentum headed into the postseason, as well as a postseason bye if Abilene Christian loses on Saturday.
Southern Utah's strong offense averages 72.7 points per game and shoots 42.9% from the field. They also bring down an outstanding 41.7 rebounds per game.
Chambers leads the team in scoring with 15.1 points per game, while Uhrich and Fely both average over eight rebounds and 12 points. With at least two games left in the season, Uhrich has reached 282 rebounds, which places fourth all-time in a single season at SUU.
Scouting Report
California Baptist Lancers
After securing the highest WAC record with a 76-69 overtime win over Abilene Christian on Thursday, the 20-10 Lancers will enter the postseason as the one seed.
California Baptist's offense has been firing on all cylinders, averaging 72.4 points per game, but has struggled defensively, allowing 66.9 points per game. Like Southern Utah, the Lancers have been fantastic in the paint. They average 41.4 boards per contest.
CBU's slew of stars includes five scorers averaging more than 10 points per game. The attack is led by freshman Lauren Olsen, who averages 15.6 points per game. Senior Emma Johansson contributes in the paint on both sides of the ball, averaging 7.2 boards and acting as one of the greatest blockers in the nation.
Tickets
Tickets to the 2026 Air Force Reserve WAC Basketball Tournament are available. They can be purchased online at orleans.boydgaming.com.
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