California Baptist University
5-4,2-2WAC
Tarleton State
2-6,0-4WAC
Lancers Complete First WAC Sweep Over Tarleton State
1/16/2021 10:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE --- California Baptist University completed its first Western Athletic Conference sweep of the season on Saturday, as the Lancers beat Tarleton State University, 73-67.
Most of the second half was a battle for control, as the score was tied six of the game's nine times over that span. The Lancers enjoyed a 39-32 lead at the break, but the Texans came out swinging in the second half.
A 6-0 run by Tarleton brought the game within one, but Ty Rowell was able to silence the noise with a jumper at the 17:39 mark.
That seemed to be the story for the Lancers in the final 20 minutes of action. Each time the Texans started to make a run or knock on the door, a Lancer stepped up and kept the visiting team at arm's length.
During the six ties in the second half, the Lancers only lost the lead once. The home team continued to keep momentum and knock down big time shots when they needed them.
The momentum started for the Lancers after Reed Nottage scored four straight points in back-to-back possessions to give the Lancers a 61-56 lead with 3:42 left.
REED NOTTAGE, BANG!!!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/7enjuJazsE
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) January 17, 2021
Tre Armstrong extended the lead to six on the next possession, but the Texans wouldn't go away, scoring six straight points to tie the game up at 64-64.
With 1:41 left on the game clock, Elijah Thomas took his man to the paint and drew an and-one.
AND-ONE!!! #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/hnxtj9ekia
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) January 17, 2021
The Lancers secured a stop on the other end, and Armstrong hit the biggest three of the night with 47 seconds to give the Lancers a five point lead, 69-64.
❄️TRE ARMSTRONG WITH ICE IN HIS VEINS❄️#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/DID74PQw0o
— CBU Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) January 17, 2021
Rowell closed out the game for the Lancers, going 4-for-4 on the free-throw line to complete the weekend sweep.
Armstrong was named the Player of the Game, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Rowell held a team-high 18 points and six assists, while Nottage and Gorjok Gak added 13 apiece. Gak was unstoppable for the Lancers again, adding 15 rebounds and five blocks to his line. This marks the second straight double-double for Gak.
The win improves the Lancers to 5-4 on the season and 2-2 in the WAC, while the Texans fall to 2-6 on the year and 0-4 in conference play.
FROM CROY:
Really proud of the guys for pulling through. I mean, a lot has been talked about in respect to these back-to-back games, and you know, everyone's watched games across the country, and you've seen some really interesting scores from game one to game two. We've tried to just keep our messaging consistent and talk about being locked in, and I thought we were very locked as a team last night, and that's why I'm so proud of our guys because I thought we may have been more locked in tonight. I thought we competed at our best when it counted the most down the stretch at those last four minutes.
UP NEXT:
The Lancers were scheduled to play Chicago State next weekend on the road, but CSU suspended its men's basketball activities, and as a result, those games have been canceled. The Lancers are set to host another WAC newcomer in Dixie State on Jan. 29-30.
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.
