California Baptist University
Utah Valley
MBB Preview: Lancers Open New Year at Utah Valley
1/4/2021 10:13:00 AM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE --- As we enter the first week of the New Year, the California Baptist University's men's basketball team will hit the road for the first Western Athletic Conference matchup against Utah Valley on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9.
The new schedule format for the WAC will take place Jan. 8 through March 6 and feature back-to-back games on Fridays and Saturdays against the same opponent at the same site. Each team will host four opponents and travel to four opponents over the course of nine weeks. The WAC Basketball Tournament is set for March 10-13 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, where the Lancers will make their first appearance in the conference tournament. Over the summer, the WAC shortened the eligibility period for transitioning institutions to two years.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: at Utah Valley
Date: Jan. 8-9
Time: 5 p.m. (PST)
Location: Orem, Utah (UCCU Center)
Video Game 1 (Jan. 8): ESPN+ (US) / WAC Digital Network (International Only)
Video Game 2 (Jan. 9): WAC Digital Network
Live Stats: Statbroadcast – (Game 1) / (Game 2)
Radio: Fox Sports 1350
Utah Valley started the New Year with a road game against Weber State on Saturday, Jan. 2, where the Wolverines fell to their in-state rival, 70-62.
The Wolverines are 2-5 on the season and enter WAC play on a four-game losing streak, with their last win dating back to Dec. 2 against Westminster. Each of the four losses in the last couple of weeks has come by a scoring margin of 10 points or less, with the last three by eight points or less.
The two teams' all-time series is tied up at 2-2, as the Lancers swept last season's conference schedule against UVU.
Notable Notes:
- Last season, the Wolverines finished 11-19 on the year and 5-10 in the WAC to finish in eighth place.
- The Wolverines returned two letterwinners while losing all five starters and welcoming 16 new players to the 2020-21 roster.
- UVU has four players averaging double figures on the season.
- Jamison Overton is the key returner for the Wolverines, as he leads the team this season with 19.5 points per game.
- Fardaws Aimaq is the most dominant player for UVU, averaging 15.9 points per game and an NCAA-best 15.3 rebounds per game.
- UVU is averaging 75.3 points per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from the 3-point line, and 61.9 percent from the free-throw line. The 61.9 percent from the charity stripe is the second lowest in the WAC (Tarleton, 60.0%).
- Mark Madsen enters his second season as the head coach for the UVU program.
- Madsen is a two-time NBA champion, former Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach, and a Stanford Athletics Hall of Famer. He is just the third head men's basketball coach in UVU's 16-year Division I history.
