California Baptist University
Western Kentucky University
MBB Preview: CBU Preps for a Tuesday Tilt with Western Kentucky
12/17/2023 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University men's basketball team will host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Tuesday evening. The game will be the first matchup of the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA's Scheduling Initiative for the Lancers.
VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY:
The game will mark the first-ever matchup between the Lancers and Hilltoppers and will be just the second time CBU has faced a representative from Conference USA. The Hilltoppers are currently on a five-game winning streak and sit at 9-3, tied for the second-best mark in the conference. Western Kentucky is 144th in the NET rankings, sitting fifteen spots ahead of the Lancers at 159th.
SCOUTING WKU:
The Hilltoppers are led by Junior guard Don McHenry, who averages 15 points per game and is currently the third-leading scorer in Conference USA. Brandon Newman joins McHenry as a double-digit scorer for the top scoring team in the conference. Western Kentucky averages 82 points per game, has topped 80 points six times this season, and has scored 90 or more on four occasions.
The Hilltoppers are the top-rated rebounding team in the conference and are 23rd in the nation on the glass. WKU is also one of the best teams in the country at forcing turnovers and defending the three-point line, where they rank 25th and 11th, respectively. The Hilltoppers are forcing 16.27 turnovers per contest and consequently average over eight steals per game. WKU has been one of the best teams at defending the arc, only allowing their opposition to shoot 26% from the line.
CBU AT A GLANCE:
The Lancers find themselves at 7-3 on the season and are coming off a thrilling 70-69 victory over their crosstown rivals, the UC Riverside Highlanders, on the road. CBU is 1-1 in conference play, beginning with a road win over Southern Utah 91-66, marking the second-largest road win for the Lancers since 2018.
CBU is led by Dominique Daniels Jr., who currently leads the team in scoring (18 ppg) and three-pointers made with 21. Daniels scored a season-high 30 points in the loss to Utah Tech, making him the fifth Lancer to score 30 in a single game in the DI era. Daniels has produced five outings of over 20 points this season and is second in the WAC in scoring.
The Lancers rank in the top 50 in the nation in rebounding and are 33rd in rebounding margin. A big reason for the team's prowess on the boards is forward Hunter Goodrick, who is 16th in the nation in rebounding at 10.7 per contest and is the WAC leader in that category as well. Goodrick hauled in a season-high 16 rebounds in the win over Cal Poly and has brought down at least nine rebounds in all but two games this season.
The Lancers have also enjoyed a lot of success on the defensive end of the court, holding opponents to 63.2 points per game, ranking them 33d in the country in that department. Only one team has scored over 70 points on the Lancers this season, occurring in the loss to Utah Tech when the Trailblazers scored 72.
MATCH INFORMATION:
Opponent: Western Kentucky
Date and Time: Tuesday, December 19 at 7 PM
Location: Riverside, CA
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: FOX AM 1350
Tickets: Here
