At Home Under the Lights

Saturday, January 9

Riverside, Calif.

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

14-2, 5-1PWC

108

Fresno Pacific

8-6, 3-4PWC

Fresno Pacific

California Baptist

108

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

At Home Under the Lights

1/9/2016 10:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Sammi Sheppard, Director of Sports Information

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — When it comes to the Van Dyne Gym, especially lately, No. 10 California Baptist University knows how to score and score often. The Lancers grabbed their third consecutive 100-plus point win Saturday night, beating Fresno Pacific 108-95.

With the win, which was featured as an NCAA Division II Game of the Week on ESPN3, the Lancers move to 14-2 on the year and 5-1 in the PacWest to still sit tied for second place in the conference standings, one game behind BYU-Hawaii. CBU also improves to 41-1 in the Van Dyne Gym since head coach Rick Croy took the helm back in 2013. The Sunbirds fall to 8-6 overall, 3-4 in conference, with the loss.

Gelaun Wheelwright led five Lancers scoring in double-digits with 24 points on the night (9-for-18). Michael Smith (5-for-13) and Jordan Giusti (4-for-7) each chipped in 15 points, which put Smith at a career total of 914, inching closer and closer to the 1,000-point mark.

Taj Spencer finished the night with 14 points (7-for-11), while Kalidou Diouf grabbed a double-double with 10 points (5-for-9) and 10 rebounds. Marquise Mosley was just on the cusp of posting double figures, ending with nine points.

Less than two minutes into the game, CBU had built up its first lead of the night after opening on a 7-1 run. Diouf scored the first points of the night on a put-back.

The Sunbirds tried to keep the Lancers within reach, but CBU had other ideas. Alexander Birketoft grabbed his own rebound and laid it in on his second attempt to put CBU threatening a double-digit lead, 16-7.

FPU responded with a basket of its own, but Wheelwright answered back with a shot from the perimeter off an assist from Jordan Heading to give CBU its first double-digit cushion at 19-9.

After the Sunbirds cut within six, 29-23, CBU went on an 8-0 run to jump in front by 14. Spencer got the run going by sinking a jump shot before Mosley capped the run with two shots at the charity stripe.

The Lancers kept trying to distance themselves from the visitors, but couldn't quite shake the Sunbirds yet. Smith hit a shot from the perimeter to put CBU closer to a 20-point edge, but FPU hit a three of its own to put the two teams into halftime with a score of 54-40 in favor of CBU.

FPU tried to slice down at the score line once more, but the closest it would get was 11 points.

Meanwhile, CBU kept pushing and putting together defensive stops to push the 20-point edge over and over again.

The Lancers didn't manage to break the seal, but did break triple digits for the third game in a row. Giusti put CBU right on the edge after he stole the ball away and scored on the fast break, giving the Lancers a 99-82 lead. Seconds later, Smith knocked down a shot from the corner to put his team into triple-digit territory.

Smith's put-back with 1:35 left to play finally gave CBU a 20-point cushion, but FPU closed out the remaining time with a 7-0 run to end the game 108-95 in favor of the Lancers.

CBU gets some time to recover from its three games in four days, next playing on Thursday, Jan. 14th, against Holy Names. The Lancers and Hawks tip off in Van Dyne Gym at 7:00 p.m., before CBU hosts rival Azusa Pacific two days later, looking to avenge an earlier one-point loss.