Lancers reel in Sharks for first NCAA victory

ANCHORAGE – Sophomore guard Courtney Nelson scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds Friday to lead 5th-seeded Cal Baptist to its first-ever NCAA Tournament women's basketball victory with a 77-69 decision over 4th-seeded Hawaii Pacific in the NCAA Div. II West Regional Championships at the Alaska Airlines Center.

The Lancers (25-6) also got 15 points, six rebounds and four assists from sophomore guard Kamille Diaz to avenge last week's Pacific West Conference Tournament title-game loss to HPU.

The nationally 25th-ranked Sharks (23-5) – who also won the Pac West regular-season championship – were led by 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four blocks and five steals from senior center Morganne Comstock, the Pac West and West Region player-of-the-year.

Cal Baptist led by as many as 14 points late in the first half before HPU sliced its halftime deficit to 39-33. The Sharks continued their momentum after the break, taking a 47-43 advantage on Chenise Peone's layup with 15:48 remaining.

Things stayed tight from there, with the teams forging seven deadlocks over the next 10 minutes. After HPU knotted it 68-68 on Comstock's jumper with 5:55 left, the Lancers took control with a three-pointer from Nelson and a layup by Diaz. The Sharks would not connect for another field goal, and Cal Baptist wrapped up the victory with four straight free throws in the final 25 seconds.

Cal Baptist, from Riverside, Calif., is in just its second year of full NCAA Div. II membership after transitioning from the NAIA ranks, and is making its first playoff appearance.

The Lancers move on to meet the winner of Friday's final first-round matchup between 8th-seeded Point Loma (19-11) and top-seeded and Alaska Anchorage (29-1) in Saturday's 7:30 p.m. ADT regional semifinal.

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