ORANGE, Calif. – Second-ranked California Baptist scored 12 of the final 14 points as it posted a 76-66 victory over No. 3-ranked West Texas A&M in the second game of the season for the Lady Buffs.  WT fell to 1-1 on the year, while Cal Baptist improved to 2-0.

WT fought valiantly to battle back from a double-digit deficit, but made just one field goal in the final 4:17 in the loss.  The Lady Buffs will complete the tournament Sunday at 8:15 p.m. CT against Augustana (S.D.) who also is 1-1 after a loss to Simon Fraser Saturday.

Senior Alie Decker paced four Lady Buffs in double figures with a team-high 16 points on 6 of 7 from the field and 3 of 4 from beyond the arc with one free throw.  Senior Sasha Watson chipped in 14 points on 4 of 15 from the field and 6 of 7 from the line.  Senior Maddison Wild added 12 points, while freshman Lexy Hightower had 12 points off the bench for the Lady Buffs. 

WT went 22 of 57 from the field and 6 of 15 from beyond the arc, while continuing great free throw shooting going 16 of 17.  WT outrebounded CBU 38-32, but 19 turnovers proved costly as CBU led 21-15 in points off turnovers and 34-26 in points in the paint. 

The Lancers were led by a game-high 21 points from Cassidy Mihalko on 8 of 13 from the field with three triples with two free throws.  Courtney Nelson added 14 points and Kamille Diaz added 12 points.  CBU shot 28 of 62 from the field for 45.2 percent and 8 of 26 from beyond the arc.  The Lancers were 12 of 16 from the line and had 18 assists with just 11 miscues.

The teams came out on fire in the early going as Cal Baptist hit a couple of treys and good early shooting by the Lady Buffs through the first three minutes garnered a 6-6 score.  Four quick points from Cal Baptist gave the Lancers a 10-6 lead with 6:51 left in the first quarter. 

WT quickly erased the deficit with two charity tosses from junior Sydney Walton and a jumper from junior Cece Wooten for a 10-10 score.  Hightower buried a triple, but CBU's best player, Mihalko, responded with her second triple of the game and a 13-13 score with 4:36 left in the quarter.

The pace slowed a bit over the next few minutes as turnovers became an issue for both teams and some missed shots by the Lady Buffs.  Three buckets from CBU gave the Lancers a 19-13 lead with just over a minute left in the quarter.  The Lancers led 19-13 as WT went scoreless for the final four minutes of the quarter.  WT opened just 4 of 18 from the field, while CBU was 7 of 14 and made three of five triples to just one by the Lady Buffs.

Senior Lilly Vander Zee ended the drought with a jumper and a 21-15 Lancer lead early in the second after Mihalko hit her eighth point of the game moments before.  A steal by Mihalko and triple from Erin Asher put CBU up nine at 26-17 with 6:33 left in the half as WT called a timeout. 

Decker hit a triple pulling WT within 30-25 with four minutes left in the half, but Mihalko buried a jumper pushing the lead back to seven at 32-25 with 3:50 remaining.  Mihalko scored her 12^th point off a steal and jumper for a 34-25 lead as WT turned it over for the tenth time in the half.  Senior Maddison Wild tallied her ninth point of the game on a jumper for a 34-27 deficit at the other end.

WT was in the bonus late in the half looking to cut into the deficit as Watson made one of two free throws for a 34-28 score.  Mihalko hit one of two free throws for a 35-28 lead with 52 seconds left for her 13^th point of the game. 

CBU led 37-30 at intermission as WT's offensive struggles continued going just 9 of 28 from the field for 32.1 percent in the half, while Cal Baptist was 15 of 33 for 45.5 percent.  The Lady Buffs were 3 of 7 from range and 9 of 10 from the line, while CBU was 4 of 13 from beyond the arc and 3 of 6 from the line.  Both teams had 19 rebounds in the half, but 11 first half turnovers proved costly for the Lady Buffs while the Lancers had seven miscues.

Wild led the way for WT with nine points in the half on 3 of 5 from the field and one triple.  Decker and Watson each had five points, while Mihalko had 13 for the Lancers.

A bucket from Watson for her ninth point of the game pulled WT within 40-35 on the old fashion three-point play with 7:01 left in the third.  A jumper from Diaz swelled the Lancer lead to 45-37 with 4:36 left in the third. 

Two free throws and a jumper from Hightower pulled WT within 45-41 with 3:16 left in the third quarter.  Decker buried a triple as WT pulled within 45-44 with 2:57 left in the quarter using a 7-0 run and a timeout by CBU.  Hightower tied the game with the "and one" with 23 seconds left in the third, but Kristine Sellona hit a triple ending the quarter giving CBU a 52-49 lead.

Decker tied the game on another "and one" at 52, but Courtney Nelson returned the favor for a 55-52 CBU lead with 9:09 left.  Hightower buried a jumper for her 12^th points pulling WT within one once again at 55-54, but CBU had the answer each time swelling the lead back to three.

Mihalko scored the "and one" pushing the lead to six at 60-54 with 7:20 left.  Decker hit a triple keeping the Lady Buffs within striking distance at 62-57.  Tori Mitchell hit a jumper for a 64-57 CBU lead with 6:03 remaining and a timeout by the Lady Buffs.

A jumper from Watson and a steal by her for her third of the game, pulled WT within 64-62 with 4:48 left.  Watson hit two free throws tying the game at 64 with 4:17 left.  A big rebound by Decker gave WT its first chance at the lead since 4-0 in the first quarter.  After a foul on CBU, WT turned it over and CBU made it pay with a jumper pushing the CBU lead to 66-64 with 3:10 left. 

Mihalko made the Lady Buffs pay for a turnover with a bucket – her 18^th point of the game as CBU stretched the lead to 68-64 with two minutes left.  Two more free throws by Nelson pushed the lead to six with 1:34 left.  She then made the Lady Buffs pay on their 19^th turnover with a triple giving her 21 for the game as CBU scored the last nine points.  Decker scored a layup pulling WT within 73-66 with 41 seconds left.

WT fouled and CBU pushed the lead to ten at 76-66 as the Lady Buffs scored one field goal in the final 4:17 of the game.  CBU outscored the Lady Buffs 12-2 during the stretch.