LA'IE, Hawaii — No. 15 California Baptist University came out Saturday night determined to get back on track. BYU-Hawaii wasn't going to let the Lancers have an easy night, however, forcing CBU to grind out a 98-94 victory.
 
Back on track, the Lancers improve to 16-4 on the year, 7-3 in the PacWest. The Seasiders fall to 10-7 overall, 7-5 in conference.
 
Michael Smith led all scorers with 22 points on the night off 8-for-12 shooting, putting him just one point away from 1,000 career points. Taj Spencer followed with 20 points — just two shy of tying his career high — on 5-for-6 shooting from the field and 10-for-11 from the charity stripe. He combined that with 10 rebounds for a double-double.
 
Trevone Williams chipped in 10 points (4-for-9), while dishing out four assists. Jordan Giusti led the Lancers with five assists and freshman Marquise Mosley finished with four assists without a single turnover.
 
While BYUH scored first, the Lancers responded with a 13-2 run to jump in front 13-4. Gelaun Wheelwright drained a wide-open three from deep during that span while Alexander Birketoft capped the run with a jumper off a Mosley assist.
 
The Seasiders battled back to take back the lead, 22-18, halfway through the first half. Kalidou Diouf ended the run by banking in a shot off another Mosley assist, but BYUH made crucial stops on defense to extend its lead to 29-20 with eight minutes left in the frame.
 
Mosley drew a foul attempting a shot from the perimeter and finished all three shots at the charity stripe. Diouf added six points with two free throws and two layups under the basket, putting the Lancers within two at 31-29.
 
CBU forced a Seasider turnover to go back on the prowl, where the Lancers moved the ball around. Smith knocked down a three from the right, giving CBU back its lead, 32-31.
 
Neither team could quite get the distance it wanted from its opponent as the lead changed four times in the last four minutes.
 
Down 41-37 with just under two and a half minutes to go, Jordan Heading drained a three to put CBU within one. Spencer followed with two free throws to give the Lancers the last lead of the half, while Smith laid it in to send CBU into halftime with a 47-43 cushion.
 
Even after CBU opened the second half on a 12-3 run to hold a 57-46 lead, BYUH chipped away at it.
 
Still, the Lancers stayed in it, grinding it out. Smith rattled in a jumper and then scored on a fast break off a Giusti steal to put CBU back in front 73-66. The Seasiders cut it within one, 77-76, but Wheelwright sank a three to keep the Lancers out in front.
 
Things heated up as the two teams headed down the stretch as BYUH brought itself within one at 83-82 before taking the lead briefly at 84-82.
 
Determined to not let another one slip away, Spencer slammed the ball in the hoop to put CBU back in front 87-86 and Smith drew a BYUH offensive foul to put the Lancers back on the attack, where he banked in a shot, 89-86.
 
With a minute left on the clock and a 92-88 edge, Spencer drew a foul and finished two chances at the line to further the distance between the two teams, 94-88.
 
BYUH made things interesting with 30 seconds remaining, knocking in a three to put the game within reach. CBU hit two free throws to distance itself, but the Seasiders crept back in, 96-94, with 14.6 seconds to play.
 
Giusti drew a foul as the home team tried to foul back in, but he made both to give CBU a 98-94 lead. BYUH desperately tried to make a three to stay in it, but Spencer snatched up the last rebound and tossed the ball out of harm's way to secure the 98-94 Lancer win.
 
CBU concludes its Hawaiian getaway on Monday, taking on Hawaii Hilo over on the Big Island, tipping off at 9:30 p.m. Pacific time. The Lancers continue on the road for one more game, heading to local foe Concordia (Irvine) on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m., before returning to the Van Dyne Gym on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 7:00 p.m. on Fox Sports West.