Tough To Swallow

Friday, November 28

Riverside

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

4-1

Texas A&M - Commerce

4-2

Texas A&M-Commerce

California Baptist

Photo by: Sammi Wellman

11/28/2014 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Sammi Sheppard, Director of Sports Information

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — For the first time this year, No. 11-ranked California Baptist University found itself in unfamiliar territory, trailing at halftime. Despite shooting an uncharacteristic 18-percent from three-point range in the first half, the Lancers settled down in the second half, but dropped a one-point game to Texas A&M-Commerce, 68-67.

CBU drops to 4-1 on the season, while the Lions improve to 4-2.

Trevone Williams and Ryan Berg led the Lancers in scoring with 19 and 15 points, respectively. Williams was 7-of-20 from the floor and grabbed 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

Down 16-8, Williams and Berg sank unanswered threes to put the game within two. Eric Nelson made a crucial block on defense to keep the Lions from stopping CBU's momentum. The Lancers missed shots, but remained in possession as they grabbed offensive rebounds before Chris Brown made a jumper to tie things up at 16-16.

The Lions built up a 10-point lead, but Williams cut the lead back into single digits by driving to the basket and drawing a foul. He finished his extra shot at the line to put the score 31-25. After A&M-Commerce hit a three-pointer, Eividas Petrulis finished his difficult shot to put the score at 36-27 at halftime.

Coming out of the break, the Lancers look determined to turn things around. Williams scored the first bucket of the half and Brown stole the ball away as the Lions tried to inbound. Berg hit a jumper to put the score within two possessions at 37-31.

Michael Smith and Williams sank two three-pointers to even the score at 42-42 and Eric Nelson put an exclamation point on the run with a one-handed, put-back dunk.

Texas A&M-Commerce went back out in front, but the Lancers kept fighting and reclaimed their lead, 52-51, off a shot from beyond the arc from Berg. Things remained tight as the two teams headed down the stretch with the score at 58-56 in CBU's favor.

As the clock neared the one minute mark, Smith drained a high-arching shot from the corner, but the Lions responded with a three of their own to put the score at 67-64 with just 64 seconds left in the game.

With 1.7 seconds remaining, a controversial foul was called to put the Lions at the line down by two. Texas A&M-Commerce finished both of its chances to take the game 68-67.

The Lancers are back in action on Saturday as they host Cal State Stanislaus in the final game of the Ayres Thanksgiving Classic, tipping off at 7:00 p.m.