Three-Point Barrage Lifts Regals past Sagehens

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Cal Lutheran women’s basketball used a barrage of three-pointers to bury Pomona-Pitzer 67-48 in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action Thursday evening. Paced by Channing Fleischmann’s 17 points, including five three-pointers, CLU would hit a season-high 12 shots from beyond the arc en route to earning their first road victory of the year.

Cal Lutheran raced out to an 18-8 first half lead on the heels of back-to-back three-pointers from Fleischmann and Alex Nelson. Three minutes later, CLU would again hit three-pointers on consecutive possessions, this time coming from Keeley Anderson and Erica Whitley as the Regals stretched their lead to 27-12.

A pair of Starla Wright free –throws coupled with two Pomona-Pitzer lay-ups sent the teams into the locker room with CLU leading 29-16.

The Sagehens narrowed the lead to 11 in the opening minutes of the second half after Jenn Okonkwo made a lay-up with 18:50 left to play.

However, it would all Regals the rest of the way out.

Nelson got CLU going again, hitting a three-pointer from the top of the key and Wright followed that by scoring the Regals next five points.

Later in the half, Fleischmann would score 10 of CLU’s 16 points in a six minute span including two more three-pointers.

Two more three-pointers from Nelson and Taylor Autry down the stretch sealed the win as CLU cruised to a 67-48 victory.

Besides Fleischmann’s 17 points, Cal Lutheran was led by Wright, who poured in 12 points. Rachel Heagy was five of eight from the field en route to scoring double figures.

Anderson hit three-pointers to provide nine points off the bench.

Nelson nearly had a double-double with nine points and eight assists.

As a team Cal Lutheran shot 48 percent from beyond the arc while limiting the Sagehens to just 20 percent.

Sagehen forward Jenn Okonkwo led all Pomona-Pitzer scorers with 15 points while Ruthie Shapiro and Julia Shay Kim each chipped in with 10.

With the win, Cal Lutheran improves to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference. The Regals are off to their best start in three seasons when they started the 2009-10 campaign 7-1.

After the loss, Pomona drops to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the SCIAC.

Cal Lutheran will be back in action next Tuesday, Dec. 11, when they host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 7:30 p.m. in Gilbert Arena.

Box Score: CLU 67 Pomona-Pitzer 48

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