Valentine's Day Crush

Saturday, February 14

Riverside

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

19-4, 13-3PW

104

Chaminade

9-13, 6-10PW

Chaminade

California Baptist University

104

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

2/14/2015 9:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Sammi Sheppard, Director of Sports Information

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Back two weeks ago when California Baptist University was in Hawaii, it dropped a frustrating loss to Chaminade. Saturday night, the No. 22 Lancers came out looking for redemption and found it with a crushing 104-71 win over the Silverswords.

The Lancers improve to 19-4 overall and 13-3 in the PacWest, while CUH drops to 9-13, 6-10 in conference.

As a team, CBU made 15 three-pointers, tying a program record for the most made in a single game. The feat hadn't been done in 26 years to the date, with the last coming in a CBU win, 110-71, over Life Bible College on Feb. 14, 1987.

Five hoopsters finished in double figures for CBU, led by Gelaun Wheelwright with a career-high 28 points (10-for-17). Taj Spencer followed with 12 points (5-for-11), while Trevone Williams (4-for-6, 3-for-4 3PT) and Jordan Giusti (4-for-4, 3-for-3 3PT) each tacked on 11 points. Chris Brown rounded out the top scorers with 10 points (2-for-4).

The Silverswords may have gotten the first points of the contest, but CBU didn't mind, answering with a 15-3 run to take its first double-digit lead of the night. CUH fought back, bringing the score within two possessions at 27-21, but Chris Brown drove to the basket after stealing the ball away and Wheelwright finished the 7-0 run with a three-point bucket.

CBU seemed to be in cruise control for the rest of the half, holding a 20-point cushion, 54-34, off a Wheelwright dunk just before the buzzer sounded.

Chaminade got right to it in the second half, trying to cut into the Lancers' lead with the first bucket of the frame. The Silverswords went on to close it within 15 points, but CBU wouldn't let the visitors bring the margin down into single-digit territory.

Wheelwright sank a shot from the perimeter and followed with another triple in the Lancers' next possession to put CBU back on top by 21 points, 66-45.

The Silverswords kept pressing, hoping to make another push, but the Lancers weren't going to let that happen in their house. With less than eight minutes to play, CUH started to look deflated as Wheelwright sank a deep three to put his team up by 27 points.

Williams got in on the action, finding nothing but net to put the score at 88-57 in favor of the Lancers. Chaminade answered back, but couldn't hold off CBU as Eric Nelson laid the ball in to make it a 30-point game once more, 90-60.

Heading down the stretch with the sizable lead, the Lancers weren't about to left their foot off the throttle, threatening a 40-point lead with three minutes to go.

Giusti put that threat even more eminent as he sank a triple to make it 104-69 with a minute left, but CUH managed to keep it in the 30 range as the Lancers walked away with the 104-71.

In just two days, the Lancers will face another team that spoiled their Hawaii trip, hosting No. 13 BYU-Hawaii on Monday at 7:00 p.m. CBU will look to avenge its earlier 100-87 loss. The Lancers conclude the regular season at home on Feb. 28, hosting Notre Dame de Namur on national television as the Senior Day game will be broadcast on Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket.