Heading Impresses on Senior Night

Saturday, March 2

Riverside, Calif.

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

15-13

Utah Valley

21-8

Utah Valley

California Baptist

Heading Impresses on Senior Night

3/2/2019 10:48:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By: Mike Minyard, Assoc. AD for External Relations

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Jordan Heading helped lead a comeback effort by California Baptist (15-13; 6-8 WAC) with 19 points on Senior Night that ended in heartbreak as Utah Valley (21-8; 10-4 WAC) prevailed, 64-63, in a Western Athletic Conference contest at the CBU Events Center on Saturday night.

Heading, in his fifth year at CBU, was the lone senior on the roster honored as part of Senior Night festivities prior to tip-off. He is on pace to play in more games than any other Lancer in school history, having played in 125 games including tonight with at least two more games remaining. Heading is currently ranked second in three pointers made (221), eighth in assists (336) and tenth in points (1,434) in CBU program all-time history.

Jordan Heading honored on Senior Night (2/2) 🎓🏀#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/5QkiRlOB0a
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) March 3, 2019

Utah Valley opened up the game with a 7-0 lead, where the Lancers shot 0-7 from the field in the first four minutes of the game. The Wolverines extended the lead out to a game-high 10 points on a jumper by Baylee Steele to make it 24-14 with 8:28 remaining in the first half. UVU held a 39-31 advantage at halftime.

CBU's Milan Acquaah and Heading put on a show in the second half, scoring 24 of the team's 32 points. UVU held a 10 point lead with the score at 49-39 with 12:40 remaining. Acquaah used a crossover move, that made his defender fall to the floor, to create an open three pointer that energized a run by the Lancers. A turnover by UVU led to a quick bucket by Acquaah and reduced the Wolverine lead to five points in a matter of 11 seconds.

"It's the Milan Acquaah Show in Riverside!"#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/kEIFB8gqqU
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) March 3, 2019

With UVU leading 54-46 with 10 minutes remaining, the Lancers used a 15-5 run over a five minute period to claim their first lead of the night. Ty Rowell hit his third trey of the game to kick-start the run. On the following Utah Valley possession, Zach Pirog made a block on the defensive end that led to a three pointer by Heading to make it 54-52 with 9:32 left.

Pirog with the block! Heading with the trey! It's a 2⃣ point game!#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/xb1GeoUGLs
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) March 3, 2019

A deep three pointer by Acquaah gave the Lancers their first lead of the night at 59-58 with 6:18 remaining.

First lead of the night! Milan Acquaah now has 2⃣1⃣ points!#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/smLaCDkAHU
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) March 3, 2019

De'jon Davis capped the run and pushed the lead to three with a pair of free throws to make it 61-58 with 5:06 on the clock. UVU's TJ Washington made back-to-back jumpers to retake the lead and neither team would lead by more than a single point the final four minutes of the contest. Heading once again hit a jumper to give the Lancers their last lead of the night, making it 63-62 with 3:52 to go.

After a scoreless two-minute stretch, UVU retook the lead with a pair of free throws by Richard Harward that put the Wolverines up 64-63 with 95 seconds remaining.

In the final minute, Heading pulled down a defensive rebound with 44 seconds left. Acquaah missed a jumper, but Heading pulled down the offensive board with 23 seconds to give the Lancers the opportunity to hold the ball for the final shot. Acquaah mishandled the ball near the CBU bench and both teams scrambled for the ball that ended with a timeout being awarded to UVU with 1.7 seconds on the clock. UVU's Jake Toolson threw an errant pass to the other side of the court that led to CBU getting the ball back near their bench, setting up one last crack at victory. Heading inbounded the ball to Davis and his three point attempt was off the mark as time expired.

As proud as we are of these guys as basketball players, we love them even more as people. Postgame autographs with our incredible fans after back-to-back heartbreakers. Thank you Lancer Nation for your record attendance all season! We're in this thing together. #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/BlmaIuVxeP
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) March 3, 2019

Acquaah, the leading scorer in the WAC, finished with 21 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. He has scored 20 or more points in 18 games this season.

Steele posted a double-double with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds for Utah Valley. Conner Tolson scored 13 points while pulling down eight boards. Isaiah White added 10 points.

The Lancers will finish the 2018-19 regular season on the road with a pair of conference games. CBU will be at UTRGV on Thursday and New Mexico State on Saturday. The Lancers have found success on the road with seven wins away from home. As of games played through March 1, CBU is one of only 68 teams in the country with seven or more true road wins.