California Baptist University
18-14,7-11WAC
#9 UTRGV
8-23,3-15WAC
Lancers Capture First WAC Tournament Win Over #9 Vaqueros; Advance To First Round Against #5 Sam Houston Wednesday
3/8/2022 10:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS --- It came down to the final play in the opening game of the 2022 Hercules Tires Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament on Tuesday, as #8 seed California Baptist University took down #9 seed The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 81-80.
Survive and advance. That's the name of the game.
A second chance three-pointer by Reed Nottage at the 44-second mark gave the Lancers an 81-77 lead over the Vaqueros.
THE BANK IS OPEN!!!#LanceUp⚔ | #WACVegas pic.twitter.com/RpvHDhTcYx
— California Baptist Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) March 9, 2022
UTRGV tried to march a comeback in the final seconds and even cut it to one after a Xavier Johnson three, but the score would hold true as a half-court heave by the Vaqueros fell off the mark.
The win marks the first WAC Tournament win for the Lancers and improves their season to 18-14 on the year. The win also marked Head Coach Rick Croy's 200th in his career at the helm of the men's basketball program. He is now tied with Jerry King (1980-94) for the most wins in the program's history and only needs one more win to become the all-time winningest coach in the program.
Congratulations to Head Coach Rick Croy on recording his 200th career victory at CBU after tonight's win over UTRGV! #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/0chH2EwgH8
— California Baptist Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) March 9, 2022
Five players finished in double figures for the Lancers, as WAC Freshman of the Year, Taran Armstrong, paced the team with 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Armstrong put on quite the show in his first postseason game for the Lancers with acrobatic passing and shots.
The magician @taranarmstrong1 strikes again!
— The Pick and Roll 🇦🇺🏀🥉 (@PickandRollAU) March 9, 2022
Pure wizardry.#AussieHoops https://t.co/zmmGQpL9hi
Tre Armstrong matched his brother for a team-high 13 points, going 5-12 from the field. Ty Rowell, Reed Nottage, and Chance Hunter all added 12 points apiece, while Juhlawnei Stone made quick work of his 16 minutes with 11 points on 5-6 shooting.
The Lancers led for nearly 34 minutes in the game and never relinquished the lead to the Vaqueros. After a slow first half and a 37-32 Lancer lead at the break, both teams came to play in the final 20 minutes of the game.
Tre Armstrong delivered one of the biggest threes of the game at the 1:54 mark to give the Lancers a four-point lead, 77-73.
Tre Armstrong, BANG!!#LanceUp⚔ | #WACVegas pic.twitter.com/jo1vtiEQMg
— California Baptist Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) March 9, 2022
Both teams combined for 19 points in the final three minutes of the game.
UP NEXT:
The Lancers move on to the first round of the WAC Tournament on Wednesday, March 9, where they will face #5 seed Sam Houston at 6 p.m. at the Orleans Arena.
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.
