California Baptist University
0-1,0-0WAC
USC
1-0,0-0Pac-12
Lancers Take USC Trojans to OT; Rowell Scores Career-High 32 Points
11/25/2020 9:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES --- After 263 days without college basketball, California Baptist University and the University of Southern California proved 40 minutes wasn't enough, as the Lancers fell in OT, 95-87.
Going into the game, the Lancers had won their last 14-straight season openers, and they nearly came away with 15 straight after leading the Trojans by five with less than two minutes left in regulation.
California Baptist was red hot all night from beyond the arc, as the Lancers broke the program record for most threes made in a game with 20. CBU went 20-41 from deep, and Ty Rowell and Mark Carbone combined for 14 of the team's 20 threes.
"Ty has one of the biggest hearts that I've ever coached." @CoachCroy on Ty Rowell scoring a career-high 32 points against USC.#LanceUp⚔️ | @braidenbellpxp pic.twitter.com/Ip2NIHDXSH
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) November 26, 2020
Ty Rowell, who entered the game after suffering an injury last season, waited longer than most to get back on the court. It had been 357 days since Rowell was able to rep the Blue & Gold. He did not disappoint, scorching the Trojans with a career-high 32 points. He was automatic all night, going 11-21 from the field, 9-15 from beyond the arc while dishing out four assists.
TY ROWELL FROM RIVERSIDE!!!
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) November 26, 2020
We are all tied up at the break, 39-39!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/4q42SV8IFO
The Trojans were led by their 7-0 freshman phenom and five-star recruit, Evan Mobley. Mobley, who is on the 2021 Naismith Trophy Watch List, the 2021 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Watch List, and the 2021 NABC Division I Player of the Year Watch List, did not disappoint in his collegiate debut. Mobley finished with 21 points, going 10-15 from the field, nine rebounds, and three blocks.
USC took its largest lead in the second half at the 10:11 mark after Isaiah White made a free throw at the line, 64-56. Down by eight, the Lancers started to claw back into the game, and Carbone gave the Lancers the energy they needed with a three on the next possession.
During the next two minutes, Carbone, Reed Nottage, and Gorjok Gak helped produce an 8-2 run that cut the deficit to one point, 70-69.
Both teams went scoreless from the 7:01 mark to the 5:18 mark.
Rowell broke the silence and knocked down his eighth three of the night to give the Lancers their first lead since the first half.
Carbone added to the new lead, hitting his fifth three and giving the Lancers a five point edge with 4:33 left to play.💥BANG💥
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) November 26, 2020
A career-high 23 points for Ty Rowell after this three!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/Vw3aby0thg
Mark Carbone is on 🔥#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/SijYuOI62z
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) November 26, 2020
Rowell made his final three and ninth of the night at the 1:59 mark, 79-74, but two free throws and a late three by the Trojans would tie the score and force overtime.
TY ROWELL!!!!!!!!!!!!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/ikd8UGFQj5
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) November 26, 2020
USC would go on to outscore the Lancers 16-8 in the five minutes of overtime.
Carbone finished with 15 points, Gak added 13 with eight rebounds, and Tre Armstrong recorded 11 points and a career-high nine assists.
BIG PICTURE:
CBU: This marked the first trip to the Galen Center for the Lancers and is one of their two games against a Pac-12 opponent this year. The Lancers will travel down to Tucson on Dec. 16 for another first-time matchup against the University of Arizona Wildcats. Those two Pac-12 games serve as the only non-conference road games for the Lancers.
USC: The Trojans were picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12, as decided by the media in the latest Pac-12 Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll. USC will look to rely on Mobley all season, as he's been tabbed as a top-five draft pick next season. Mobley comes to USC as the highest recruited player in the program's history.
UP NEXT:
The Lancers will host four straight games over the next two weeks, with two straight games against SE Louisiana on Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. and Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. This marks the first time the Lancers will play a non-conference opponent twice in the same season.
FOLLOW ALONG:
All home and away games for CBU men's basketball will once again be available through Fox Sports AM1350 in the greater Riverside area and beyond. Braiden Bell will handle play-by-play responsibilities and host pre-game and post-game shows featuring exclusive interviews with the team and Coach Rick Croy. Fans can download the iHeartRadio app for free and listen to the CBU broadcasts from anywhere. Simply search for Fox Sports 1350 when using the iHeartRadio app.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Don't forget to follow @CBUMBB on Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with the season.
