IRVINE, Calif. – In a crucial contest between two of the top three teams in the PacWest Conference, the Concordia University Irvine women's basketball team outlasted the Dominican Penguins 64-59 to sweep the season series.
The victory helped CUI's case for a top two seed and a first round bye in the upcoming PacWest Conference Tournament.
It also marked the ninth straight win for the Golden Eagles in league play, which extends the program-record in the NCAA DII era.
Woodbridge High School alum
Erika Maggard scored a career-high 16 points and six rebounds while Brea native
Jasmine Rachal also had 16 points to lead the CUI offense.
After the Penguins rallied within one point late in the contest, Rachal made four free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
Leading by nine points entering the fourth quarter, CUI saw its lead trimmed to two after a quick 7-0 run by Dominican. However, Rachal sank a timely three-pointer to answer the call and then after a defensive stop,
Camryn Kiernan found Maggard for a layup to give CUI a little bit of breathing room.
Kiernan and
Kendall Jackson each drained two triples to help the cause. Rosary Academy alum
Savannah Felix-Amoroso collected 10 points and 13 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and the fourth of her career.
"I'm super proud of this team," said CUI head coach
Christine Collins-Kiernan. "Our starting back court combined played less than nine minutes in the first half and somehow the rest of the team found a way. We got huge lifts again off the bench, specifically from Erika and Savannah. This was a game where they were going to have to show some toughness and they were going to have to fill gaps. This group certainly did that. Every kid gave us what we needed the synergy was flowing."
Maggard shot 7-for-10 from the field and is now shooting 57 percent on the year.
"I think we just followed our game plan to a tee," said Rachal. "We talked about how powerful our team is from top to bottom in the pre-game meeting and we just have the next "woman" up mentality always. Every person was ready for their moments individually and we came together to get the job done. This team is really special."
"I'm so thrilled to be a part of history with this team," said
Teagan Thurman, who added seven points and five boards. "From having girls injured and nagging injuries to seeing the team face adversity, we persevered and had different people step up and show everyone just how deep we are as a team."
"It feels great to extend our win streak but I think the best part of that win was seeing how capable we are defensively," added Rachal. "We still have things we need to work on but we are growing in the right direction when it matters most."
The Golden Eagles get the next week off for some much-needed rest back at home. CUI returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 1 against Chaminade with a 5 p.m. start time before the men face off at 7:30 p.m.
CLICK HERE for the full CUI women's basketball schedule
