California Baptist University
3-1,0-0WAC
LIU
2-2,0-0NEC
Daniels Jr. and Williams Lead CBU past LIU on Friday Night
11/15/2024 11:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University men's basketball bounced back on Friday with an offensive explosion against Long Island University. CBU, led by its starting backcourt, scored 90 points on 34 made field goals to take the victory 90-77.
The win brings CBU's record to 3-1 in the early going and drops the visiting Sharks' record to 2-2. The win was CBU's first-ever against an opponent from the Northeast Conference and helped CBU rebound from a one-point loss on Tuesday night to UC Riverside.
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
CBU and LIU took a few minutes to find their respective flows on offense, with the two teams combining for a modest 21 points ahead of the first media timeout. Following the break, both teams could not seem to miss from the field as both offenses traded blows with one another over the back half of the first period. Martel Williams and Javonte Johnsons were the primary catalysts for CBU over the opening 20 minutes, scoring a combined 30 points on efficient 11-15 shooting from the floor. CBU would lead by as many as 11 in the opening frame before the Sharks cut that deficit to 47-40 heading into halftime. Both teams shot a blistering 55% in the first half, with CBU cashing on 40% of its triples to help them to the first-half lead.
The Sharks would hang around in the top half of the second period, cutting the lead all the way down to two with 11:58 remaining, but CBU would steamroll the Sharks from that point on, led by a flurry from Dominique Daniels Jr. on offense. Daniels Jr. scored 23 of his game-high 27 points in the second half and connected on five triples to put the game out of reach. The lead grew to as many as 15 during the second half before settling on the final score of 90-77.
STATISTICAL NOTABLES:
Daniels Jr. and Williams were the driving forces behind the CBU offensive explosion, which combined for 50 points on 18 made field goals. For Williams, it was his second 20-point effort of the season, and for Daniels Jr., it was his 7th game of 25+ points as a Lancer. Tylen Riley was a spark plug off the bench with 13 points, four rebounds, and six assists in 27 minutes of action. Riley's defense was also solid, forcing three takeaways on the Sharks defense. Johnson had a new season-high in his first season with CBU, scoring 16 points on four made triples and hauling in seven rebounds.
CBU shot 50% from the floor as a unit, and they connected on a season-high 13 triples to boot. CBU's success from the perimeter was a driving force behind the victory, outscoring the Sharks by 21 in that department. CBU, as they have done so well, took care of the ball with just seven total turnovers and was +15 in second-chance points as well.
NEXT: The Lancers are back in action at home on Wednesday, November 20, at 7 PM against Northern Colorado.
