RIVERSIDE — Pace and finesse have been staples of the California Baptist University women’s basketball program in recent years.

California Baptist University’s Filipa Barros dribbles between UC Riverside’s Makayla Minshall and Aaliyah Stanton in a nonconference women’s basketball game on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)

However, in Monday night’s season opener against UC Riverside, the Lancers also showed they can use a more physical approach in winning games.

Emma Johansson and Filipa Barros combined for 38 rebounds, while Johansson registered seven of the team’s 10 blocked shots, as the Lancers muscled their way to a 56-53 home victory in the first “Crosstown Showdown” between Riverside’s two Division I women’s basketball programs since 2021.

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