2023-24 Team Preview: CBU Lancers Women’s Basketball

Since making the jump to NCAA Division I, CBU women’s basketball has made it to postseason play in all but one of their eligible seasons.

In 2022-23, the Lancers were within a win of the NCAA tournament but went onto win the WBI.

Can they continue that streak in 2023-24 after sustaining some heavy losses to graduation and the transfer portal?

Head coach Jarrod Olson is excited about who he has returning. Chloe Webb, Nae Nae Calhoun and second-team All-WAC selection Grace Schmidt all return. Filipa Barros and Kinsley Barrington also return.

The Lancers have had three straight 20-win seasons. Under Jarrod Olson, the Lancers have never had a losing season. The WAC is a little deeper on the women’s side in 2023-24. How will the WAC runner-up handle things?

Let’s take a look at the squad that Jarrod Olson will put on the floor with in in his 12th season at CBU.

2022-23 Season Record

22-13 Overall/13-5 WAC (3rd Place)

Postseason

Lost in WAC Tournament final to Southern Utah

Defeated New Mexico State in WBI final

Departures

• Trinity San Antonio- Transfer to Grand Canyon University
• Brittany Klaman- Graduated and is now serving as Director of Basketball Operations at Long Beach State
• Dorcas Wu- Graduated
• Sila Finau- Graduated
• Mia Morel- Transfer to Stephens College (NAIA)
• Sarah Lange- Transfer to Florida Southern (NCAA D2)
• Tiena Neale- Entered Portal as a Grad Transfer
• Georgia Kehoe- Graduated

Between the quartet of San Antonio, Klaman, Wu, and Finau CBU loses 97 starts along with their top two three point shooters, top two distributors, and leading scorer. Like SFA, the Lancers have lost a lot but should be in a pretty solid position to remain among the conference’s upper programs.

Returners:

• Kinsley Barrington – 6’0, Senior
• Filipa Barros – 5’9, Sophomore
• Nae Nae Calhoun – 5’5, Senior
• Grace Schmidt – 6’0, Sophomore
• Chloe Webb – 5’8, Senior

While Jarrod Olson doesn’t have a lot of returners this season the ones he will have are going to play a big role in CBU’s success in 2023-24.

Schmidt was the team’s second leading scorer at 13.4 points and appeared in all 34 games, making 30 starts, en route to earning WAC 2nd team honors. She was our WAC Hoops Digest Freshman of the Year after winning six conference Freshman of the Week awards.

Webb was the team’s third leading scorer at 11.1 points and second in steals with 51. Her season high in scoring was 25 points against Northern Arizona in an early season double overtime loss.

Barrington averaged just under seven points per game and was second on the team in blocks with 16. She had a season high 21 points against Seattle just after the Christmas Break.

Calhoun played some of her best basketball last year during the Christmas holiday, scoring in double digits in three straight games against UT Arlington, Western Kentucky, and GCU.

In some of the Lancers best wins, Barros showed her potential and CBU fans should expect a big year from the Portuguese sophomore. She had a season high 24 points against Western Kentucky just before the Christmas Break and connected on multiple 3-pointers in five games.

Newcomers:

• Nhug Bosch Duran – 5’7,  Junior, Transfer from Wichita State
• Emily Sewell – 6’3, Junior, Transfer from Portland Forward
• Anayiah Tu’ua – 5’9, Redshirt Sophomore, Transfer from CSUN
• Nia Anderson – 5’7, Freshman
• Susan McHugh – Redshirt Freshman

Duran is a transfer from Wichita State who appeared in all 33 games for the Shockers while making nine starts. She averaged 3.3 points and was third on the team in assists (52) despite playing nine fewer minutes a night than the top two distributors. Wichita State was 18-15 overall and 6-10 in the AAC.

Sewell comes to CBU from Portland where she appeared in 21 games and averaged 6.9 minutes per game. She was efficient from the floor in those minutes shooting  41.4 percent. Portland was 23-5 Overall and 15-3 in the WCC last year. They defeated No. 1 Gonzaga in the WCC final and reached the NCAA Tournament, falling to Oklahoma in an opening round game.

Tu’ua is a redshirt junior who led CSUN in assists last season with 93 while averaging 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds. She shot right at 30 percent from 3-point range for a Matadors team that struggled to a 6-14 mark in the Big West.

Anderson is an incoming freshman who averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 assists for Northern California power St. Mary’s HS who went 26-10 overall, reaching section and regional finals before falling.

McHugh comes from Brisbane, Queensland where she played in the NBL1 league for the South West Metro Pirates. The school year is a little different in Australia. McHugh graduated in December and joined CBU after graduation, redshirting so as not to burn a year of eligibility.

Outlook:

Unlike the championship season in 2020-21, there is not a lot of size on the CBU roster. At 6’3, Emily Sewell is the tallest player on the roster and only two others are 6’0 or taller. If there was one downfall in the 2023 WAC championship game, it was the size differential.

However, with quick guards that can take defenders off the dribble and knock down perimeter shots, size might not matter for the Lancers. CBU likes to play fast, shoot from the perimeter and force teams to play with pace. If the score is in the high 80’s, CBU is likely on the winning end of things. It is all about culture for the Lancers. Jarrod Olson knows how to win and develop players.

Ane Olaeta came to CBU before the Lancers made the jump to Division I without any Division I offers. Olaeta proceeded to win WAC Player of the Year in 2020-21. Caitlyn Harper had just one Division I offer before coming to CBU. Now, Harper is starting in the Big Ten after a couple of outstanding years at CBU.

The Lancers worry more about the name on the front of the jersey than the name on the back. Always dangerous simply because they can change the pace of play in a hurry.

Scheduling Tidbits:

In the WAC/CUSA Alliance, the Lancers will host UTEP and visit Louisiana Tech. CBU opens up with a San Diego road trip which includes UCSD of the Big West and San Diego State from the Mountain West.

Brittany Klaman makes her return to the Dale E. and Ann Fowler Events Center in week 2 as a Director of Basketball Operations for Long Beach State. And the Lancers round out the non-conference slate by hosting Emily Sewell’s former team in Portland.

Although missing the Power 5 opportunities, Olson and staff have done a nice job assembling a challenging non-conference schedule which prepares them for WAC play. In total, it features four WNIT teams in Louisiana Tech, UTEP, San Diego State and Long Beach State along with an NCAA Tournament team in Portland.