California Baptist University
Jackson State University
CBU Return Home to Face Jackson State and UC Irvine as a Part of the Holiday Series Partnership with Stater Bros. Markets
12/26/2024 11:07:00 AM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist men's basketball team will return home this week after an extended road trip as they host Jackson State and UC Irvine as part of The Holiday Series partnership with Stater Bros. Markets.
The Lancers enter the week at 6-6 and are coming off an 86-69 victory at Fresno State last Saturday for the team's first true road win of the season. The Dale E. & Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center will be a welcome sight for CBU after spending the past month on the road. The Lancers are 4-2 in the confines of the Fowler Events Center, picking up wins over Incarnate Word, Kennesaw State, LIU, and Eastern Washington to begin their season.
The week will begin on Saturday, December 28, as they face the Jackson State Tigers at 5 PM. The Tigers and Lancers are familiar foes, as this will be the fourth time the two teams have matched up since 2019, with all four games taking place in Riverside. Jackson State is led by former NBA All-Star Mo Williams and is seeking their first win of the season after scheduling one of the toughest non-conference slates in the country. Jackson State ranks third in the country in strength of schedule and has faced off against top-tier competition such as #4 Houston, #9 Kentucky, and #5 Iowa State all on the road.
The second matchup of the week will be a tilt against the UC Irvine Anteaters on Monday, December 30, and will be the final game of the non-conference schedule for the Lancers. The Anteaters have been one of the best mid-major clubs in the NCAA this season and are ranked 5th according to College Insider in the mid-major rankings heading into the game and are 60th in the overall NET rankings. UCI's only losses have come at Oregon State and at Duquesne this past week after starting the leas 9-0. UCI has won at least 20 games in the past two seasons and has appeared in the NIT in both 2023 and 2024.
The Anteaters boast a top-20 scoring defense in the country, only allowing their opponents to 63.1 points per game this season. UCI is also one of the top free-throw shooting teams in the nation, currently ranking third at nearly 82% from the charity strip. Offensively, the Anteaters are led by 7-1 Center Bent Leuchten from Germany, averaging 14.3 points per game and leading the team in rebounding at 8.4 per contest.
For the Lancers, Dominique Daniels Jr. continues to be one of the best scorers in college basketball, ranking 8th in the country in scoring average at 22.2 points per game. Daniels Jr. has scored at least 20 points in his last five outings and in eight of the 12 games this season. On the national stage, Daniels Jr. is 11th in total points scored, 15th in field goals made, and second in field goals attempted. As a team, the Lancers continue to be one of the best teams in the nation from the charity stripe and taking care of the basketball. CBU is 29th in free throw percentage at 77.5% and is 24th in turnovers averaging 9.8 per game.
GAME INFORMATION:
CBU vs Jackson State
DATE/TIME: Dec. 28 @5PM PT
LOCATION: Fowler Events Center- Riverside, CA
WATCH: ESPN+
CBU vs UC Irvine
DATE/TIME: Dec. 30 @7PM PT
LOCATION: Fowler Events Center- Riverside, CA
WATCH: ESPN+
Stater Bros. Holiday Series:
Sports fans in the Inland Empire can visit select Stater Bros. Markets locations located in Riverside, CA, to pick up special discount ticket vouchers containing a QR code to access the offer for five different Holiday Series home games. The regular price for individual tickets is $10 for each game, but with the discount voucher, tickets are only $5 each. A special package deal for admission to all five games in the series is also available for $21 for general admission seating and $36 for reserved seating.
5-GAME TICKET PACKAGES CAN BE PURCHASED HERE: www.cbulancers.com/holiday
