California Baptist University
6-6,0-0WAC
Fresno State
4-8,0-1Mountain West
Dominant Second Half Results in Season Sweep of the Bulldogs for CBU
12/21/2024 4:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
FRESNO, CA--- The California Baptist University men's basketball defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs for the second time this season behind a dominating second-half showing on Saturday afternoon at the Save Mart Center by a score of 86-69.
The win ended a three-game slide for the Lancers and would be the first true road win for CBU in non-conference action. Overall, the Lancers improved to 6-6 with the win and handed the Bulldogs just their second loss at home this season.
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
The Fresno State Bulldogs got out to a hot start, scoring on their first three possession to jump out to an early 8-1 lead. The Bulldogs offense continued its efficient start and would lead by as many as nine at 20-11 over the Lancers in the first half. CBU would show no signs of panic and would execute an 11-0 run on the Bulldogs, led by a couple of crucial baskets from Kendal Coleman. One of Coleman's field goals during the run would mark his 1,000th career point as a collegiate athlete as he scored off great ball movement from the Lancers on the fastbreak.
After a brief CBU lead, the Bulldogs would regain it with just over a minute remaining, but the Lancers would have the advantage heading into halftime as Javonte Johnson connected on a corner triple to make it 36-35 after 20 minutes of action. Although Fresno State outshot the Lancers in the first half, CBU outgained Fresno State in points-off turnovers and second-chance points to help them cling to their slim lead.
CBU came out of the second-half locker room on fire with a 13-5 run to open up its largest lead of the game to that point at 49-40. CBU would not slow down from that point and would throttle ahead to extend the lead to double digits on a steal and score by Dominique Daniels Jr. with 11:17 to play. Daniels Jr. and true freshman Bradey Henige were the driving forces of the efficient offense in the second half for the Lancers, scoring 26 points combined. The Bulldogs would cut the lead down to 11 in the waning few minutes, but their comeback attempt was short-lived as the Lancers took care of business on the road with a score of 86-69.
STATISTICAL NOTABLES:
Daniels Jr. continues to showcase why he is one of the most dangerous scorers in the country, with 29 points on 11-18 shooting including five made triples. Daniels Jr. scored 29 points in the first meeting against Fresno State at the Acrisure Holiday Invitational, giving him 58 points against the Bulldogs this season. Daniels Jr. is in the top 10 in scoring in the nation this season and continues to build upon those numbers.
Henige was huge off the bench for the Lancers in the win tonight, scoring a career-high 12 points on efficient 5-6 shooting for the freshman. CBU also welcomed the return of Martel Williams to the rotation after missing the past few games with an injury, and he would provide CBU with much-needed energy off the bench with eight points in 15 minutes of action.
The Lancers shot a blistering 60% from the field in the second half and would shoot 52% overall in the game. The 52% shooting was the third time this season they have shot over 50% as a unit, and their 45% three-point shooting was also their second-best output of the young season. A growing theme for CBU has been its dominance in the paint this year, and it was on display again tonight as they outscored the Bulldogs 50-30 in the interior.
NEXT: The Lancers will close its non-conference schedule with a pair of home games starting with Jackson State on Thursday, December 28 at 5 PM.
