RIVERSIDE --- California Baptist University's men's basketball team will open up the second half of Western Athletic Conference play at home this week against CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 6 and Grand Canyon on Feb. 8.

The Lancers finished the first leg of conference play with a 6-2 record and are currently in sole possession of second place behind NM State. Last season, the Lancers finished their first year in the WAC at 7-9 and have a chance to tie their total on Thursday against CSU Bakersfield.

CBU is coming off its second straight WAC road sweep after beating Utah Valley, 65-61, and Seattle U, 72-65. The Lancers are 16-6 on the season, and the win over the Redhawks on Feb. 1 tied the Lancers win total from last year's historic debut into the DI ranks.

Head Coach Rick Croy and his team have now won a combined 32 games during the two seasons of DI play during the transition period. If the Lancers win one of their next nine games, they will surpass Grand Canyon (32) for the best win total in a second-year transition period into DI.

If you remove the RPI qualifier and simply count wins against DI opponents, the record is held by Grand Canyon and Seattle U at 30. The Lancers currently have 25 wins and are six wins away from breaking the record set by the Lopes and the Redhawks. Of the final nine games on the slate, eight of those games are against DI opponents.

GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: CSU Bakersfield
Date: Thursday, Feb. 6
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: CBU Events Center
Watch:  WAC Digital Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Radio: Fox Sports AM 1350
Lancer Live Tip-Off Show at 6:35 p.m. (PST)

CSU Bakersfield enters Thursday's contest with an overall record of 10-13 and 4-4 in the WAC. The Roadrunners are currently in a tie for third with Kansas City, Seattle U, and Grand Canyon.

Notables:

• This marks the final season the Roadrunners will compete in the WAC, as the university announced plans to join the Big West Conference on July 1, 2020.
• CSUB first met the Lancers back in the 1971-72 seasons when the Lancers competed as NAIA members.
• The all-time series record between the two schools favors the 'Runners at 4-2, with the Lancers winning the last two matchups.
• The Roadrunners fell to the Lancers on Jan. 8, 83-75, in Bakersfield. De'Monte Buckingham and Taze Moore each finished with a team-high 23 points.
• Since the loss to the Lancers, the 'Runners have gone 3-3 in the WAC and come into Thursday's game on a three-game losing streak.
• Moore is the team's leading scorer with an average of 11.4 points per game.

GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Grand Canyon
Date: Saturday, Feb. 8
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: CBU Events Center
Watch:  ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Radio: Fox Sports AM 1350
Lancer Live Tip-Off Show at 6:35 p.m. (PST)

As for Saturday's contest, Grand Canyon is in a four-way tie for third in the WAC at 4-4 and 9-13 on the season.

Notables:

• The Lopes and the Lancers first met back on Jan. 11 in Phoenix, where the Lancers came away with a 61-57 victory.
• The loss to the Lancers marked just the sixth loss since 2016 at home to WAC opponents.
• After the loss to the Lancers, the Lopes have gone 4-2 with wins over Chicago State, Kansas City, Seattle U, and UTRGV.
• Alessandro Lever and Carlos Johnson lead the team, averaging more than 15.0 points per game.
• This will mark the only game the Lopes will play this week after coming off a 72-52 defeat from NM State on Feb. 1.