RIVERSIDE --- It was a record-breaking night for California Baptist University's Taran Armstrong, as the freshman broke the single-game program record with 15 assists in the 89-71 victory over North Dakota.
The court vision was on full display all night for the rising star, drawing attention from Oklahoma City Rookie Josh Giddey, who is among the top players in the NBA for Rookie of the Year.
"He's loving being a college basketball player," said head coach Rick Croy. "He's been waiting for this for over two years. He's been waiting for these opportunities. He's worked for them. He understands that. The attention he is getting is deserved because he's worked so hard in so many different areas. Beyond that, he came into our program, played so hard, and conditioned at such a high level. The guys love playing with him. It's fun to watch him develop."
The Lancers' 89-71 win over North Dakota marks the sixth double-digit margin of victory on the season, as the Lancers improve to 8-1 on the year. It also kept the Lancers win streak at home alive, improving to a perfect 8-0 when playing in front of the Lancer faithful in the Events Center.
Armstrong was quick to showcase his passing talent, making a cross-court throw on an in-bounds play to set up Ty Rowell for the three.
Moments later, he delivered another highlight reel, beating his defender to the paint for the slam dunk.
Armstrong recorded his 10th assist of the night at the 1:52 mark, finding Tre Armstrong cutting to the basket.
After a six-point lead at the break, the Lancers ran away with it in the second half, exploding for a 27-11 run to take a 20 point lead at the 12:27 mark.
"We don't want to play in a manner where we are counting on the crowd," added Croy. "We want the crowd to count on us. We want to drive the enthusiasm the passion by playing extremely hard, and they will reward that by doing what they did tonight. They were going crazy the entire game because our guys were playing so hard."
Dan Akin was a main contributor to the Lancers going crazy, throwing down a monster dunk at the 17:42 mark.
Taran Armstrong followed that up with another slam of his own to keep the energy rocking inside the Events Center.
Armstrong finished his night with 11 points, 15 assists, and eight rebounds in 32 minutes of action. The previous single-game assists record was held by Ted Plotts with 14 back on Jan. 18, 2001. Akin led the Lancers with a team-high 16 points, while Chance Hunter finished with 12 points and Tre Armstrong added 11.
UP NEXT:
The Lancers will take a break from hosting and hit the road for two games with a Crosstown Showdown against UC Riverside on Sunday, Dec. 12, at 4 p.m. The Lancers will follow that up with a game against No. 11 Arizona on Saturday, Dec. 18, at 3 p.m. (PST).
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.
