Lancers Fight WAC Leader

Thursday, January 24

Riverside, Calif.

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

CSU Bakersfield

California Baptist

Photo by: Reagan Lee

Lancers Fight WAC Leader

1/24/2019 9:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score PDF Box Score

By: Mike Minyard, Assoc. AD for External Relations

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Jarkel Joiner scored a career-high 34 points to help lead CSU Bakersfield, who entered tonight's game at the top of the Western Athletic Conference standings, to an 88-84 victory over California Baptist at the CBU Events Center on Thursday night.

Joiner and CBU sophomore Milan Acquaah went back-and-forth on both ends of the floor, guarding each other most of the night. Acquaah, the leading scorer in the WAC, finished with 27 points and six assists, while tying a career-high with five steals. Acquaah has scored 20 or more points in 13-of-18 games played this season. Joiner added four rebounds, three steals and two assists to his totals.

The Lancers started the game off strong, building a game-high nine point lead early in the contest. With the game tied at 8-8 just three minutes in, CBU senior Jordan Heading hit a three pointer to spark a 14-5 run. Junior Zach Pirog capped off the Lancer run with a dunk putting CBU up 22-13 with 11:17 left in the half.

Pirog with the first poster of the night 😎 #90sNight #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/xWRsxf6V5g
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) January 25, 2019

The Roadrunners responded, outpacing CBU 30-14 over the next nine minutes to build a 43-36 lead with just over a minute remaining in the first half. Pirog went on a mini-run, scoring the final four points of the half to make it 43-40 at the break.

CBU extended its end of the first half run by scoring the first five points of the second stanza. The 9-0 run gave the Lancers a 45-43 lead after sophomore Mike Henn drained a three pointer with 19:42 on the clock. Bakersfield responded again, this time going on a 19-8 run over the next eight minutes to make it 62-53 with 12:02 left.

With the Lancers needing an answer, Acquaah provided it when he hit a three pointer that started a thunderous 14-5 run over the next four minutes. The run included two treys by sophomore Ty Rowell and three points by junior Jeremy Smith. Pirog about brought the house down after pulling down a defensive rebound and hustling down the floor for a put-back dunk off of an Acquaah three-point attempt to tie the game at 67-67 with eight minutes left.

PIROG PUTBACK SLAM!!!!! #LanceUp #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/BFEh56ooue
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) January 25, 2019

Bakersfield once again responded with another big run that pushed their lead out to eight points at 85-77 with 3:14 remaining. The Lancers were not done, though. CBU used a 7-2 run that included a trey by Smith, a difficult layup by Heading and a pair of free throws from Acquaah to make it 87-84 with 2:12 left in the game.

Jordan slices through the lane for the tough finish!! #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/2QENM9kOqr
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) January 25, 2019

In the final minute, the Lancers were able to get a defensive stop to take possession down three points with 18.9 seconds left. Acquaah brought the ball down the floor and found an open Rowell in the corner. Rowell was unable to convert, but the ball went out of bounds with possession remaining with CBU with 7.4 left in the game.

CSU Bakersfield, up by three, appeared to have a strategy to foul CBU after the ball was inbounded, but Acquaah was able to get a three-point attempt off that bounced off the rim leaving 1.6 seconds when the Roadrunners grabbed the rebound. CBU fouled Joiner, a 61-percent free throw shooter, putting him on the line for a chance to seal the victory. He missed the first; leaving hope. The second shot was good, thus securing the 88-84 road win for the first-place Roadrunners.

CBU finished with five players scoring in double-figures for the first time since a 107-71 victory over Mississippi Valley State earlier this season on Dec. 1. Rowell and Smith each posted 11 points. Junior De'jon Davis tallied 10 points and seven boards. Pirog came off the bench to score 10 points while pulling down six rebounds.

Greg Lee scored 16 points along with five rebounds for CSU Bakersfield. Taze Moore added 10 points off the bench.

The Lancers return to action on Saturday night in a showdown against Grand Canyon. A capacity crowd is expected in the 5,050-seat Events Center with only single-seat tickets remaining as of Thursday. Fans attending the game will receive a free "Beat GCU" WHITE OUT t-shirt. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. exclusively on ESPN+.