LAS CRUCES --- California Baptist University started its two-game road trip against NM State on Thursday night, as the Lancers fell to the Aggies, 68-57.
It was a game of runs for the full 40 minutes, as each team looked to pull away at any moment. The Aggies opened the game on an 11-2 run, but CBU responded at the 10:38 mark on a Ty Rowell three from deep. CBU would go on a 17-3 run over the next four minutes as Taran Armstrong capped off the long CBU run with a three.
Chance Hunter closed out the first half with his fourth three of the first half to give the Lancers a 10 point edge at the break, 33-23. CBU closed out the final minutes on a 12-2 run.
"I thought we were prepared to compete," said CBU head coach Rick Croy. "We shook off the tough start. The first four minutes of the game were tough, and then we competed really well. Our talk in the locker room at halftime was great."
The game slowed down in the second half, though, as the Aggies managed to get to the free-throw line 21 times compared to the four attempts in the first half.
CBU took its largest lead at the 18:41 mark on a deep three by Tre Armstrong to give the Lancers an 11 point advantage.
The Aggies would score their next seven points at the free-throw line, as NM State went on a 13-0 run to regain the lead.
"We wore down in the second half," said Croy. "You got to find a way to keep scoring. We put so much pressure on our defense because we weren't able to score the ball there in the second half."
The Lancers chipped away at the deficit and even cut it to four at the 4:23 mark, but the Aggies would end the game at the free-throw line.
"Our guys are very capable shot makers and New Mexico State is obviously a very accomplished defensive team," Croy said. "I didn't think we took a lot of bad shots, but maybe a couple quick ones. Bottom line, you're going to have to do things well on a lot of levels to come in here and get this done. It's very disappointing because we gave ourselves a chance to win in a really tough environment."
Hunter led the Lancers' offense with 12 points, going 4-7 from the 3-point line. Ty Rowell finished his night with 11 points, while Dan Akin recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
"Really good to have our team back," added Croy. "We got to move it forward. We have another tough one coming on Saturday against a really good opponent."
UP NEXT:
The Lancers will finish their WAC road trip against Grand Canyon on Saturday, Feb. 5, at 5 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.
