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LAS VEGAS – California Baptist took charge early and never looked back against Tarleton State Women’s Basketball, defeating the Texans 77-60 in the WAC Tournament Semifinals on Friday at Orleans Arena.  

The Texans, the No. 5 seed, earned their way to the conference’s final four after an upset win over No. 4 seed Utah Valley on Thursday. Friday marked the Texans’ second straight appearance in the WAC Semifinals. 



Senior guard Gia Adams led with a game-high 22 points, her seventh 20-point game of the season. Freshman center Elodie Lutbert added 15 points to go with seven rebounds and also blocked a pair of shots. Lutbert now owns the program’s all-time single season program record for blocks at 65. 

“I’m very proud of our kids’ effort today,” head coach Bill Brock said. “They never gave up and they fought hard after a tough win yesterday. CBU is really hard to beat when they hit anywhere from 10-12 3-pointers in a game. We dug ourselves in a hole early and our ball screen coverage and transition defense gave us issues today. But I’m proud of our kids’ fight today and all year long. They’re a great group of kids to be around.”

The Texans built off their momentum from Thursday’s quarterfinal game by hitting their first two shots on Friday. CBU, however, answered with two 3-pointers on back-to-back trips down the floor. The Lancers used a 9-0 scoring run to take early command. 

Lutbert helped the Texans by converting two straight layups before CBU answered with a bucket of its own. The Lancers ended the first quarter on a 7-0 scoring run to take a 14-point lead to close the opening period. 

Adams scored the first seven points of the second quarter for the Texans to cut the deficit to single digits, but CBU quickly went back up by 10 after a basket while drawing the foul. The senior guard knocked down a jumper to make it a nine-point game again, but CBU had the answer. The Lancers quickly converted a layup 18 seconds later and got two more buckets to take a 15-point lead. 

Tarleton State shot 41.1% in the second quarter compared to CBU’s 42.1% shooting and cut the deficit going into the locker room. A 3-pointer from sophomore guard Mar’Cyah Willis and a buzzer-beating layup from junior forward Allie Myers made it an 11-point game at halftime. 

Lutbert’s layup to open the third quarter helped the Texans cut the deficit to single digits. CBU once again countered a response, scoring eight unanswered to force a Tarleton State timeout. CBU shot 8-for-18 in the third quarter while holding Tarleton State to just over 30% shooting, maintaining its double-digit advantage going into the final period. 

The Lancers went up by 20 to open the fourth quarter, but the Texans refused to go down quietly. Adams drew a foul while making a basket to go with a 3-pointer from junior guard Caroline Lyles. Lutbert’s layup and free throws made it a 13-point game, with the Texans outscoring the Lancers 18-16 in the fourth quarter. 

CBU capped off Friday’s game with a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left, getting a 17-point win. The Lancers will make their third WAC Championship game appearance in the last four years. 

Postgame Notes


Tarleton State Women’s Basketball was defeated by the WAC Tournament No. 1 seed and regular season champions, California Baptist, 77-60 in Friday’s semifinal at Orleans Arena. CBU advanced to their third conference championship game in four years. 
The Texans appeared in their second consecutive WAC Semifinal on Friday. Tarleton State upset No. 4 seed Utah Valley on Thursday to advance to the conference’s final four. 
The 2026 WAC Tournament marks the final basketball tournament for the conference. The Texans will play in the rebranded United Athletic Conference next year. 
Senior guard Gia Adams led with a game-high 22 points on Friday. She registered her seventh 20-point game of the season. 
Freshman center Elodie Lutbert added 15 points and blocked two shots. Lutbert has 65 single season blocks and now owns the program’s all-time single season program record for blocks.