The Southern Utah University women’s basketball team is preparing for its final regular season game against California Baptist University, which recently secured the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular season title. The matchup will take place on Saturday, March 7, at 2:00 p.m. at the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center in Riverside, California.
Southern Utah enters the contest with a 19-10 overall record and an 11-6 mark in WAC play. A win could keep their hopes alive for securing the second seed in the conference tournament and potentially earning a postseason bye if Abilene Christian loses on Saturday.
Head Coach Tracy Mason commented on the upcoming game: “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.”
The Thunderbirds have faced California Baptist twice this season, splitting the games. In their first meeting, Southern Utah lost at home in overtime by a score of 82-77 despite strong performances from Ava Uhrich and Sierra Chambers. In their second encounter, SUU won decisively on the road with an 85-70 victory led by Brooklyn Fely’s standout performance.
Statistically, Southern Utah averages 72.7 points per game while shooting 42.9% from the field and collecting an average of 41.7 rebounds per contest. Chambers leads SUU with an average of 15.1 points per game; Uhrich and Fely both contribute more than eight rebounds and twelve points each per outing. Uhrich’s rebound total this season ranks fourth all-time for single-season rebounds at SUU.
California Baptist holds a record of 20-10 overall and leads the WAC at 14-3 after defeating Abilene Christian in overtime earlier this week to clinch the top seed for postseason play. The Lancers are averaging 72.4 points per game but allow opponents an average of nearly 67 points per contest while matching SUU’s rebounding prowess with over forty-one boards each game.
Freshman Lauren Olsen leads CBU’s offense with an average of 15.6 points per game; senior Emma Johansson contributes significantly as well, especially defensively as one of the leading shot blockers nationally.
Tickets for the upcoming WAC Basketball Tournament can be purchased online through orleans.boydgaming.com.
