CBU Falls Short Against UC Irvine, 69-66

Wednesday, December 5

Riverside, Calif.

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

UC Irvine

California Baptist

CBU Falls Short Against UC Irvine, 69-66

12/5/2018 9:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Mike Minyard, Assoc. AD for External Relations

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Big West Conference preseason favorite UC Irvine extended its road-winning streak to nine games with a 69-66 victory over California Baptist at the Events Center on Wednesday night.

CBU sophomore Milan Acquaah, the leading scorer of the Western Athletic Conference, posted a game-high 25 points along with four rebounds. Acquaah has scored 20 or more points in seven of nine games played this season.

The game opened up in favor of UC Irvine where it slowly built a lead of as many as seven points in the first half. The Anteaters held a 33-28 advantage at halftime.

UCI gained its largest lead of the night when Tommy Rutherford made a three pointer to make it 40-32 with 18:38 left in the game. The Lancers responded going on an 8-0 run capped by an Acquaah trey making it 40-40 with 15:39 on the clock.

TIE. GAME. #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/VWGvgqfLc6
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) December 6, 2018

The game would remain close the rest of the way, with CBU tying it multiple times, but was unable to get over the hump to take the lead.

Late in the game, Acquaah fearlessly struck again hitting his fourth three pointer to make it 66-65 with 1:05 remaining.

*Mike Breen voice* BANG!!!! It's coming down to the wire in the Events Center!!! #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/l0xskSac4w
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) December 6, 2018

Rutherford, who finished with a team-high 14 points, would respond with a jumper to extend the UCI lead to 68-65 with 48 seconds left.

CBU and UCI both split a pair of free throws late making it 69-66 and setting up the final Lancer possession of the game. CBU senior Jordan Heading, who finished with 12 points, missed a tightly contested shot from beyond the arc to tie the game as time expired.

Lancers fall in a heartbreaker, 69-66, just missing a chance to tie it at as time expired. Big time battle with UC Irvine tonight.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/1laAEIAQom
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) December 6, 2018

UCI improves to 8-2 on the season. They are currently ranked No. 18 in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. The Anteaters entered tonight's game with an eight game road-winning streak which was tied for the third-longest active road-win streak in NCAA DI.

CBU is no stranger to close games this season, going 1-4 in games decided by one possession or overtime.

The Lancers (4-5) will look to rebound against Caltech in the Events Center on Saturday at 7 p.m.