California Baptist University
2-2,0-0WAC
Saint Katherine
0-2
Lancers Dominate In First Time Matchup Against Firebirds
12/10/2020 7:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE --- Reed Nottage and Elijah Thomas helped the Lancers put on quite the show Thursday night, as California Baptist cruised to a 93-47 victory over St. Katherine.
The game between the Lancers and the Firebirds was announced yesterday on Dec. 9, and it marked a first-time matchup between the two schools.
Nottage led all scorers on the night, going 11-13 from the field and 3-5 from deep to tie his career-high with 26 points. Elijah Thomas recorded his first career double-double, pouring in 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Gorjok Gak almost posted a double-double of his own with 10 rebounds and eight points, going a perfect 4-4 from the field. Gak also recorded a career-high five assists.
First career double-double for Elijah Thomas!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/OPK4GhsYpo
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) December 11, 2020
The 46-point victory marks the largest margin of victory for the Lancers since Feb. 22, 2020, when they beat Chicago State, 95-53.
The Lancers finished with a season-high 29 assists on the night, as the team shot 51.4 percent from the field. CBU came up one assist shy of tying the program record in the NCAA era for most assists in a game (30 vs. Bethesda, 12/15/15).
California Baptist held the Firebirds to 30 percent from the field, 29 percent from the 3-point line, and won the rebounding battle, 47-31.
Gak with the 👀 and Thomas throws it down! #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/drbBqnVH5m
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) December 11, 2020
BIG PICTURE:
CBU: The Lancers have now won their last two games and sit at 2-2 on the season. The scoring continues to be shared throughout the starting lineup, as Nottage, Ty Rowell, Tre Armstrong, and Gak are all averaging double figures. Gak is currently averaging a double-double with 11.0 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game. CBU is set to host Fresno Pacific on Dec. 12 before making its final non-conference road trip against another Pac-12 opponent. The Lancers are set to face the University of Arizona in Tucson on Dec. 16.
USK: The Firebirds are now 1-2 on the season but have seven games under their belt with exhibitions against Southern Utah, UC Santa Barbara, San Diego State, and Pepperdine. Last season, the Firebirds went 15-10 on the year, setting a new program best for wins in a season. They will have 11 days off before their next opponent when they play the University of the Pacific in an exhibition.
UP NEXT:
The Lancers will host Fresno Pacific on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 3 p.m. CBU holds an all-time record of 29-13 over the Sunbirds, with their first game dating back to the 1995-96 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.
