California Baptist University
3-2,0-0WAC
Fresno Pacific
0-0,0-0PacWest
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno Pacific | 27 | 44 | 71 |
| California Baptist | 48 | 62 | 110 |
Lancers Turn Up The Heat Against Sunbirds
12/12/2020 6:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE --- Six Lancers finished in double figures Saturday evening, as California Baptist won its third straight game of the season with a decisive 110-71 final over Fresno Pacific.
The Lancers (3-2) had everything clicking against the Sunbirds, recording season-bests in all three shooting categories. CBU finished with a 61 percent clip from the field, 50 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line.
The red hot shooting started early, as the Lancers jumped out to a 12-2 lead after three and a half minutes of action.
Ty Rowell🎯#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/pSFxvg9owz
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) December 12, 2020
The lead ballooned to 21 a couple of minutes later when Ty Rowell hit another three to give the Lancers a 27-6 lead at the 12:26 mark.
Ty Rowell is starting to catch 🔥 in the Events Center!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/BJTIeoD7Np
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) December 12, 2020
California Baptist didn't look back after that, as the home team went wire-to-wire against its former PacWest opponent. The Lancers now hold a 30-13 all-time series lead over the Sunbirds, and head coach Rick Croy is 8-0 against FPU since his arrival in 2013.
Elijah Thomas led all scorers on the night, finishing with 22 points, three rebounds, and two assists. This marks the second straight game Thomas has set a new career-high after posting 13 points in the Lancers' win over St. Katherine on Dec. 10.
Rowell was behind Thomas and earned Player of the Game after recording 19 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Rowell's eight assists tie his career-high dating back to Nov. 25, 2017, when he dished out eight assists against Saint Martin's.
Nottage, the leading scorer for the Lancers, added 18 points to the mix, seven rebounds, and four assists. Gorjok Gak and Mark Carbone both finished with 12 apiece. Gak was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards.
The Lancers dominated the boards all night, outrebounding the Sunbirds, 46-19.
BIG PICTURE:
CBU: This marks the fourth game the Lancers have had a different player lead the team in scoring. CBU currently has six players averaging nine or more points a game, with Reed Nottage and Ty Rowell averaging 17 points a game. The Lancers will hit the road next week for their final non-conference road game against the University of Arizona with three straight wins under their belt. The Dec. 16 matchup marks the first meeting between the two programs. Arizona is currently 5-0 on the season, with wins over Grambling State, Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona, CSU Bakersfield, and UTEP.
FPU: This was the first counting game for the Sunbirds, as their first game of the season came against San Jose State in an exhibition. Aamondae Coleman, who returns as the Sunbirds leading scorer last season, finished with 19 points on the night, going 8-13 from the field.
UP NEXT:
The Lancers will face first-time opponent the University of Arizona on Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 4 p.m. Pacific Time.
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.
