California Baptist University
12-6,2-3WAC
Tarleton State
8-12,3-4WAC
Lancers Secure First WAC Road Win Over Tarleton State
1/20/2022 9:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball
STEPHENVILLE --- California Baptist University enjoyed its first visit to Wisdom Gym on Thursday, as the Lancers handed Tarleton State its first Western Athletic Conference home loss on the year, 88-84.
The Lancers extended their win streak over the Texans to three straight, as CBU swept the first two matchups in the 2020-21 season. The win tonight also snapped Tarleton's six-game home win streak, as the Texans held a 7-1 record at home with a scoring margin of 15 points over their opponents.
CBU had five players finish in double figures, as Dan Akin led the way with a team-high 22 points, 14 rebounds, and a career-high six blocks. It marks Akin's eighth double-double on the season, and he becomes the first Lancer to record six blocks in a game since Zach Pirog on Feb. 26, 2020, against Utah Valley.
Reed Nottage finished his night with 19 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while Tre Armstrong added 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Both Ty Rowell and Tyree Campbell chipped in 12 points apiece. Campbell's 12 points mark a new career-high and his first double-digit scoring game as a Lancer.
"We knew we needed to take care of the basketball against a great defensive team," said CBU head coach Rick Croy. "Tarleton's pressure is elite, and they do it for 40 minutes. We have great respect for their program."
It was all CBU from start to finish, as the Lancers held the lead for over 37 minutes in the contest, as the other two and a half minutes were spent tied up. It marks just the second game of the season for the Texans to go all 40 minutes without holding the lead. The Lancers enjoyed a 52 percent shooting clip from the field (25-48) while holding the Texans to 39 percent (25-64).
Nottage helped the Lancers' lead grow late in the first half after knocking down his second three at the 4:43 mark.
Reed Nottage is feeling it from the corner! He's perfect from the field with 10 points!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/4wTl1yi1Te
— California Baptist Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) January 21, 2022
With time winding down in the first half, Rowell delivered a textbook mid-range jump shot to give the Lancers a 12 point edge at the break.
Ty Rowell gives the Lancers their largest lead before the break!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/2yzcPzIGwY
— California Baptist Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) January 21, 2022
The runs continued for the Lancers in the second half, as Akin took his man off the dribble to give the Lancers their largest lead of the game at the 4:53 mark, 72-57.
The Texans wouldn't go down without a fight, though, producing a run of their own and cutting the lead to a one-possession game with less than a minute left.
"We've been in a lot of these lately," added Croy. "The guys could have blinked, but they didn't. We stayed the course. We've had a few of these go the other way. It feels really good that the guys finished it. I'm very proud of the leadership on our team."
CBU ended its night going 5-6 from the free-throw line in the final seconds to secure its first WAC road win of the season.
"I cannot explain how much we needed this win and how much this win means to us going forward," said Nottage. "The confidence this gives us as a team to keep pushing in conference and finishing the season strong. It's such a big morale boost for everyone, and I think it gives us a lot of confidence."
UP NEXT:
The Lancers continue their two-game road swing with a first-time matchup against Abilene Christian on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 1 p.m. PST. The Lancers will return home to host Sam Houston on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m.
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.
