MONMOUTH, Ore. — In the very first game of the NCAA Division II West Regional, No. 14 California Baptist University looked to set the tone early and had to grind out a 70-63 win over Cal Poly Pomona Friday afternoon.
 
"This is what we anticipated with CPP," said Coach Rick Croy. "We haven't played them in my time at CBU, but we know their history and have tremendous respect for their program. We knew it was going to be an incredibly tough game and it probably wasn't going to be pretty.
 
"It was just what we thought. Thankfully, we had a good finishing kick."
 
The No. 3-seeded Lancers improve to 28-6 to keep on dancing in the West Regional tournament, while the No. 6-seeded Broncos see their season come to an end with a 22-8 mark. The win also extends CBU's unbeaten streak to 10-straight games – the Lancers set a new program-best record with 16-straight wins during Croy's first season.
 
"Our goal remains the same, to play as long as possible," said Croy. "These guys love playing together. We have a great group of seniors and we want to compete until they won't let us compete anymore."
 
Gelaun Wheelwright led all scorers with 21 points, but Michael Smith (7-for-13) was right on his tail with 20 points. Kalidou Diouf also chipped in double-digit points with 11 points on 2-for-3 shooting (7-for-9 FT).
 
CBU's rebounding effort came up big Friday as the Lancers out-rebounded the Broncos 39-to-28. Wheelwright was a major contributor with seven boards. Jordan Giusti also snagged seven rebounds, while Alexander Birketoft grabbed six missed shots off the glass.
 
Diouf scored the first points of the game, banking in a shot under the basket, but CPP responded with six-straight points. CBU had its own response, going off on a 17-3 run to take its first double-digit lead of the day.
 
Smith bookended the spurt, putting in a pass from Diouf to get it going and making it 19-9 off an assist from Marquise Mosley.
 
CPP battled back to cut the margin to one possession, just two points, 19-17. The Broncos then took the lead on their next chance on offense, sparking a back-and-forth battle between the two teams before CPP put together a little run to jump in front.
 
Down 29-24, Smith scored the next five points off an old-fashioned, three-point play and two free throws to even the game up at 29-29. CPP would walk into halftime with the 31-29 lead, however, scoring two points of its own at the charity stripe before the first period ended.
 
The Lancers came out of halftime determined to get back in front to continue the March Madness ride.
 
"We gathered ourselves and just kept playing as a team," said Diouf. "We kept playing through the adversity."
 
After the two teams exchanged free throws to open the second half, Smith and Trevone Williams each knocked down shots from the perimeter to put CBU back in front. Wheelwright hit a free throw to extend the run, giving the Lancers a 37-32 cushion and force a CPP timeout.
 
The Lancer defense stayed resolute and didn't allow a Bronco bucket in the run of play until almost four minutes into the half. CPP didn't score again until almost four minutes later, meanwhile the Lancers went off on a 5-0 sprint to jump in front 42-34.
 
About halfway through the period, however, CPP started to get its own stops on defense to tie the game up at 49-49.
 
Heading down the stretch, CBU trailed by just two points, 53-51. The Lancers knew the last five minutes were going to be crucial to keep their season alive.
 
Smith made a reverse layup to tie the score at 53-53 before Giusti grabbed a strong defensive rebound to keep the Broncos off the glass. Back on offense, Wheelwright drained a deep three to put his team back in front, 56-53, with just under four minutes to play.
 
Intensity rose in the final two minutes as CPP continued to stay right on the Lancers' tail. The Broncos turned on the press and sent CBU to the line, hoping to get the ball back, but the Lancers wouldn't allow that to happen.
 
"Their press is probably one of the best things they do," said Croy. "They create turnovers and havoc and make it real tough on you. Thankfully, we took care of the ball."
 
Up 64-61 with less than a minute remaining, Wheelwright drew a foul on the inbounds pass and hit both free throws. Still, the Broncos stayed within three points, 66-63.
 
Williams made one of his chances at the line, but missed the second, allowing CPP to try to counter on offense. The Broncos were out of sync, however, and turned over the ball with 12.2 seconds to go. CPP proceeded to foul once again, sending Smith to the charity stripe, 68-63.
 
Desperate for some points, the Broncos tried to hit a shot from the perimeter but Diouf came up big with the defensive board to keep CPP from getting a second chance. He was sent to the line shortly after and sealed the 70-63 victory with two free throws.
 
"I was just trying to get the ball and hold onto it," said Diouf on his final rebound of the game. "All I was thinking was to hold onto the ball and let them foul me."
 
CBU faces the winner of No. 2 seeded and No. 21-ranked UC San Diego on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
 
"We'll prepare and be ready to go," said Diouf.
 
"We're ready to win," added Smith. "March means a lot of different things. It means playing for everyone in the stands, our family; it means playing for the guys before us; it means competing for our brothers who wear the jersey with us. We just want to make everyone proud and make ourselves proud."