California Baptist University
Southern Utah University
MBB Preview: The Lancers Head to Cedar City to Open WAC Play
11/27/2023 11:55:00 AM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University men's basketball will open conference play this week with a road trip to Cedar City to take on Southern Utah.
The Lancers enter the matchup atop the standings through the early portion of the non-conference schedule at 5-1, including winning their last three. The Lancers have played their first six contest at home, where they have compiled a 65-27 record since joining the Western Athletic Conference in 2018. CBU is off to its best start since 2021 and the second-best overall start of the DI era.
Southern Utah enters the contest 2-3 and coming off a 74-67 victory over Texas State and a pair of challenging road losses at Utah State and Louisiana Tech. The Thunderbirds are in their second season in the conference and reached the WAC Championship game last season, where they fell to Grand Canyon. Southern Utah earned a spot in the College Basketball Invitational, reaching the semifinals and losing in double overtime to Eastern Kentucky.
The Thunderbirds and the Lancers have met three times in program history, two of which came in conference play in 2022-23. Southern Utah got the better of the Lancers in both contests a season ago, winning by one in Riverside and ten in Cedar City. Southern Utah enters 2023-24 with a near new coaching staff and roster, including former Western Illinois Head Coach Rob Jeter in his first year at the helm.
The Lancers are led in scoring by Dominique Daniels Jr., averaging 17.5 points per game, and has already produced three 20-point games this season. Three other players are averaging double-figures, including Yvan Ouedraogo, Blondeau Tchoukuiegno, and Brantly Stevenson. Ouedraogo, in particular, has been a bright spot on both ends of the court for CBU. The Grand Canyon transfer has set a new career-high in scoring on three different occasions this season, including his current career-high of 17 points that he scored against Cal Poly. Ouedraogo is also second on the team in rebounding at 8.8 per game and has posted a pair of double-digit rebound outings in 2023.
The Lancers have been hitting the glass hard this season, ranking 19th in the country in rebounding and 25th in rebounding margin. The Lancers have collected 43 rebounds per game and have outrebounded their opponents by an average of 9.8 per contest. A big reason for the disparity on the glass is Hunter Goodrick. Goodrick is 8th in the nation in rebounding at 11.2 and is 12th in defensive rebounding at eight per game. CBU has also excelled at getting to the free-throw line to begin the new campaign, averaging over 25 attempts per game. The 25 attempts are 30th in the nation and second in the WAC.
MATCH INFORMATION:
Opponent: Southern Utah
Date and Time: Saturday, November 27- 5:30 PM PT
Location: Cedar City, UT
Watch: ESPN+
Tickets Here
