Saturday, February 21
Azusa, CA
7:30 PM
California Baptist University
at
Azusa Pacific
Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez
Ranked Rivalry Showdown
2/17/2015 1:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — In just five days, California Baptist University played three games, including one against a ranked foe. Despite the long week, the Lancers crushed their competition to move up to No. 17 in the NCAA Division II rankings heading into a big showdown on Saturday. CBU faces rival, No. 18 Azusa Pacific, on the road at 7:30 p.m.
The game not only pins the two rivals together, it could have postseason and conference implications as CBU and APU are both battling for the top spot in the West Region and the PacWest.
Head-to-Head
Historically, the Cougars have held the upper hand in the all-time series at 86-40, but since head coach Rick Croy took the helm, the Lancers have taken two games to the Cougars' one. This Saturday gives CBU a chance to sweep the 2014-15 series after winning the first matchup, 87-80, in the Van Dyne Gym.
Rankings Roundup
CBU moved up five spots to No. 17 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II Poll with two of the three wins from the five-day span—the win over then-ranked No. 13 BYU-Hawaii didn't play a factor in this poll. Azusa Pacific also moved up five spots from No. 23 to No. 18 to stay on the heels of the Lancers.
The first West Region rankings came out Wednesday, putting CBU as the No. 2 team in the region, just behind APU. The top eight teams in the region advancing to the NCAA Division II tournament.
PacWest Standings
As of 2/17/15
*Clinched PacWest Championship Tournament berth
Multimedia
Fans can follow live stats and video for a fee of $7.95 on APU's portal at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/apu/. Live tweeting of the event can also be found by following @cbulancers on Twitter.
Lancer Notes
Ever since dropping a game to BYUH in Hawaii, CBU has been on a roll, holding a five-game winning streak heading into Saturday's contest. The Lancers sit one game behind the Cougars — who are tied for first in the PacWest with Dixie State — with three games left in the regular season.
As a team, CBU averages 79.4 points per game while holding opponents to 68.1 ppg for an 11.3 average margin. The Lancers top the conference in defending three-pointers, keeping their challengers to a 31.2 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
Gelaun Wheelwright leads a balanced attack for the Lancers with 16.2 points per game. Ryan Berg — who has been battling injuries all season — follows with 13.0 ppg, while Taj Spencer and Michael Smith are within .5 points from each other's averages at 17.9 and 17.4 ppg, respectively. Spencer and Smith also boast the highest rebounding averages of CBU, averaging 6.7 and 5.8 repective boards a game. Berg and Chris Brown are even with 2.8 assists per game, with Jordan Giusti sneaking up on their tails at 2.2 assists per game. The two point guards, Brown and Giusti, help the Lancers as the first line of defense and have combined for 57 steals on the season.
Cougar Notes
Following its loss to CBU in Riverside, APU has responded with a winning streak of its own, beating three-straight opponents. The Cougars average 84.1 points per game, led by two players averaging double figures. Troy Leaf continues to post numbers in the 20-point range to average 22.5 ppg, while Robert Sandoval contributes 10.2 ppg.
The game not only pins the two rivals together, it could have postseason and conference implications as CBU and APU are both battling for the top spot in the West Region and the PacWest.
Head-to-Head
Historically, the Cougars have held the upper hand in the all-time series at 86-40, but since head coach Rick Croy took the helm, the Lancers have taken two games to the Cougars' one. This Saturday gives CBU a chance to sweep the 2014-15 series after winning the first matchup, 87-80, in the Van Dyne Gym.
Rankings Roundup
CBU moved up five spots to No. 17 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II Poll with two of the three wins from the five-day span—the win over then-ranked No. 13 BYU-Hawaii didn't play a factor in this poll. Azusa Pacific also moved up five spots from No. 23 to No. 18 to stay on the heels of the Lancers.
The first West Region rankings came out Wednesday, putting CBU as the No. 2 team in the region, just behind APU. The top eight teams in the region advancing to the NCAA Division II tournament.
PacWest Standings
As of 2/17/15
| School | Conference Record | Overall Record | Streak |
| Azusa Pacific* | 15-3 | 22-4 | W3 |
| Dixie State* | 15-3 | 18-6 | W7 |
| California Baptist* | 14-3 | 20-4 | W5 |
| BYU-Hawaii* | 12-5 | 18-5 | L3 |
| Point Loma* | 12-6 | 19-6 | W1 |
| Dominican | 9-8 | 12-13 | W3 |
| Hawaii Pacific | 9-9 | 14-10 | W2 |
| Hawaii Hilo | 6-10 | 10-12 | L4 |
| Chaminade | 6-11 | 9-14 | L3 |
| Fresno Pacific | 5-12 | 9-16 | W2 |
| Academy of Art | 4-12 | 6-16 | L1 |
| Notre Dame de Namur | 3-14 | 4-19 | L6 |
| Holy Names | 1-15 | 3-21 | L7 |
Multimedia
Fans can follow live stats and video for a fee of $7.95 on APU's portal at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/apu/. Live tweeting of the event can also be found by following @cbulancers on Twitter.
Lancer Notes
Ever since dropping a game to BYUH in Hawaii, CBU has been on a roll, holding a five-game winning streak heading into Saturday's contest. The Lancers sit one game behind the Cougars — who are tied for first in the PacWest with Dixie State — with three games left in the regular season.
As a team, CBU averages 79.4 points per game while holding opponents to 68.1 ppg for an 11.3 average margin. The Lancers top the conference in defending three-pointers, keeping their challengers to a 31.2 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
Gelaun Wheelwright leads a balanced attack for the Lancers with 16.2 points per game. Ryan Berg — who has been battling injuries all season — follows with 13.0 ppg, while Taj Spencer and Michael Smith are within .5 points from each other's averages at 17.9 and 17.4 ppg, respectively. Spencer and Smith also boast the highest rebounding averages of CBU, averaging 6.7 and 5.8 repective boards a game. Berg and Chris Brown are even with 2.8 assists per game, with Jordan Giusti sneaking up on their tails at 2.2 assists per game. The two point guards, Brown and Giusti, help the Lancers as the first line of defense and have combined for 57 steals on the season.
Cougar Notes
Following its loss to CBU in Riverside, APU has responded with a winning streak of its own, beating three-straight opponents. The Cougars average 84.1 points per game, led by two players averaging double figures. Troy Leaf continues to post numbers in the 20-point range to average 22.5 ppg, while Robert Sandoval contributes 10.2 ppg.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball2025 WAC Tournament Semifinals | CBU Men's Basketball vs. Grand Canyon | Game Highlights
Monday, March 17
2025 WAC Tournament Quarterfinals | CBU Men's Basketball vs. Tarleton St. | Game Highlights
Friday, March 14
CBU Men's Basketball vs. UT Arlington | Game Highlights
Tuesday, March 11
CBU Men's Basketball vs. Tarleton St. | Game Highlights
Saturday, March 08
