RIVERSIDE, Calif. — When it comes to the Van Dyne Gym on head coach Rick Croy's watch, California Baptist University knows how to defend it well. When rival No. 19-ranked Azusa Pacific came to town Saturday night, the Lancers handed the Cougars an 87-80 defeat in front of a sold-out crowd.

"We love playing in Van Dyne," said Croy. "I think we have one of the best environment in the state at any level. Tonight was tremendous. The student section was incredible. We feed off their energy and the guys are very comfortable competing here."

CBU improves to 17-4 on the season, 11-3 in the PacWest, while APU falls to 19-4, 12-3 in conference.

As a team, the Lancers let shots fly as they boasted a 56.3-percentage from the field and 57.1-percent from beyond the arc. 

"We knew tonight was going to be a great environment and a tough game and I thought the guys were focused," said Croy. "Especially in the second half we really shared the ball and got good looks. We have guys on this team that can make shots."

Gelaun Wheelwright led the charge for the Lancers, putting up 25 points on the night (9-for-13). Chris Brown followed with 16 points, going 3-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 from three-point range. Trevone Williams (4-for-8, 3-for-5 3FG) and Michael Smith (3-for-3, 2-for-2 3FG) rounded out the quartet, scoring 16 and 14 points respectively. Taj Spencer was right on the cusp of a double-double, grabbing 10 rebounds to go with nine points (4-for-7).

"Chris and Trevone had great leadership for us," said Croy. "Taj had a big second half and Gelaun is really coming on. He's always been a very talented player but he's learning to be a great competitor."

Williams set things in motion with the first points of the night, dropping two shots from the perimeter to give the Lancers an early 6-0 lead and erupt the crowd. He gave CBU its largest lead of the half with just under 13 minutes before the break, knocking down another three-pointer to put the home team in front 20-12.

APU battled back to even the score three times, putting the two teams tied at 37-37 at halftime. That battle continued in the second half as the Cougars tried to keep the Lancers within reach. 

CBU started to make its move, however, as Jordan Giusti drained a three from the corner pocket off a Ryan Berg assist. Still, APU fought to hang on and tied things up at 55-55 with 10 minutes to go.

Unfazed, the Lancers went on a 10-0 run sparked by Brown driving to the basket. Williams grabbed a crucial board, followed by two from Eric Hunt to prevent the visitors from getting second looks at the basket and keep the run going.

"Our defense in the second half is what got it done," said Croy. "Obviously you have to make some shots to win, but I think we were able to make some stops and grab some rebounds. It was a great night. You don't get many environments better than that."

The Cougars attempted to foul back into the game with a minute left, but Wheelwright, Williams, Smith and Spencer took care of business to give CBU the 87-80 win.

CBU remains at home with a full slate next week. The Lancers host three Hawaii schools in five days, starting with UH Hilo on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

"We're hitting the reset button and getting back to work," said Croy. "This team competes well and works well. That's what we really need to do, we need to work at it. I don't think we're anywhere close to peaking. We can get a lot better."