CBU Competes With Cal

Thursday, November 3

Berkeley, Calif.

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

Cal (exhibition)

Photo by: Ariel Nava/Cal Athletics

11/3/2016 9:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Sammi Wellman, Director of Sports Information

BOX SCORE

BERKELEY, Calif. — California Baptist University got a sneak peek into what its made of as it took on the University of California in an exhibition game Thursday night. The Lancers hung with the Bears, but just came up short, falling 81-73.

Both teams shot pretty evenly with CBU shooting at 40-percent and Cal at 41.9.

Michael Smith led all scorers with 25 points (9-for-27), posted seven rebounds and had three assists on the night. Marquise Mosley followed with 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting, while freshman De'jon Davis also finished with 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting. Jordan Heading rounded out the Lancers in double figures with 10 points (4-for-9).

Junior transfer Jason Todd and Davis each snagged six boards for CBU. Cal barely out-rebounded the Lancers, 44-to-40.

The Lancers didn't get the start they had hoped for, finding themselves trailing by 13 in the first four minutes of the game.

It didn't faze the visitors, however, as CBU started to chip away at the lead until it was back within reach. Down 19-8, Heading knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to put the Lancers within five, 19-14.

Halfway through the first half, Smith scored four-straight points to put CBU within four of the Bears, 24-20.

Every time Cal thought it was starting to pull away, the Lancers would come charging back and even threatened to pull even with two minutes left in the first. Trailing by nine, 29-20, CBU went on a 9-2 run to put itself within a bucket, 31-29.

Smith sparked the spurt with a jump shot and Mosley followed with a triple from deep. Davis capped the run with two free throws, 31-29.

Cal built back a multi-possession lead and walked into halftime with a 40-32 cushion.

Once again, the Bears tried to pull away and took a 15-point lead with 16:21 to play, 53-38, but the Lancers weren't about to roll over.

Kalidou Diouf made back-to-back fade away jumpers, before a Smith and-one brought the Bear lead back down into single-digit territory, 54-45. Mason Stuteville capped the spurt by banking in a shot off the glass off an assist from Bul Kuol.

Heading down the stretch trailing by 15, Davis got another run going. The freshman drew a foul and knocked down both free throws to start the 7-0 sprint and fueled it with a dunk with three minutes left on the clock.

With less than a minute on the clock, Smith drove to the basket and drew a foul as he laid in the ball for an old-fashioned, three-point play, putting CBU within seven, 76-69. The Lancers then tried to foul back in the game, but ran out of time to settle for the 81-73 loss.

CBU officially opens its season next Friday, hosting Montana State-Billings for a 4:00 p.m. tipoff.