Courtesy: CBU Athletics
RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University women’s water polo ended its season with a 13-10 win over Concordia in the Golden Coast Conference Tournament on Saturday at the Lancer Aquatics Center.
Kira O’Donell and Jamie Hutton each scored a game-high four goals for CBU, while Maddie Schwegler and Kyndall Burrell added two goals each. Madison Gerg also had 10 saves, two steals and an assist in the cage.
The Lancers’ victory secured them seventh place in the GCC Tournament after they came in seeded eighth behind the No. 7 Concordia Eagles. It also avenged a 6-5 loss to the Eagles earlier this season. CBU ends the year with a 13-17 record and Concordia finishes up at 9-14.
It was the final collegiate game for seven Lancers: O’Donell, Gerg, Kinga Wisniewska, Nicole Rhoads, Caelan Loroff, Lahela Rosario and Vicky Martinez. The group helped lead CBU to 63 wins, including seven ranked victories, and final top-25 rankings in the NCAA over the last four years, including a program-best No. 17 ranking in 2021.
Hutton also had a team-high six points with two assists, a drawn ejection and a steal. Taylor Frandsen also had two assists and a drawn ejection, while Dora Lehoczky added two assists.
O’Donell continued to etch her name into CBU’s record books with her four goals, three drawn ejections and a steal. She ended her collegiate career with goals in her last 28 games and had 18 multi-goal and 14 hat tricks in her final season.
Earlier this week, O’Donell made history when she became the first Lancer to make four All-GCC Team with a Second Team selection this season. She’s also a three-time All-American and the first multiple NCAA Division I All-American in team history.
In CBU’s career record books, she ranks fifth in points (381) and goals (259) and eighth in assists (122). She also tied CBU’s single-game record with seven goals against #22 Long Island on Feb. 25.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
CBU got off to a strong start and took a 3-1 lead in the opening four minutes after two goals from Hutton and another from O’Donell. The Lancers took a 6-3 lead into the second quarter as Hutton completed her hat trick in the opening four-and-a-half minutes and Schwegler and Melinna Galbraith also scored.
Concordia tied the game with a 3-0 run, but the Lancers ended the first half on a 3-1 charge as O’Donell scored twice to notch the hat trick and Burrell added her first before halftime to make it 9-7. Burrell scored again to open the second half to give CBU a 10-7 cushion, but the Eagles cut the deficit down to just one with 6:34 to play.
Hutton and O’Donell scored big goals back-to-back within 57 seconds of each other and Schwegler netted the dagger with 1:27 to play.
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