MBB Preview: The Lancers Will Face UVU and GCU in Mid-February Clash

Thursday, February 15

Riverside, Calif.

7 PM

California Baptist University

Utah Valley University

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Photo by: Rayleigh Rogers

MBB Preview: The Lancers Will Face UVU and GCU in Mid-February Clash

2/13/2024 2:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Ryley Collom, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications & Digital Media

RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University men's basketball team will host Utah Valley before heading to Phoenix to take on Grand Canyon this week in a pair of critical matchups for the Lancers.

GAME 1 vs. UTAH VALLEY:

The first matchup of the week will be at home for the Lancers as they welcome the Utah Valley Wolverines to the Dale E. & Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center. The Wolverines are currently one spot behind the Lancers in the WAC Resume Seeding and are coming off a blowout win over Abilene Christian on Saturday. Utah Valley is 5-8 in conference play and has already defeated the Lancers once this season in early January.

In that January 4th game, the Wolverines bested the Lancers 65-58 at the UCCU Center in Orem and have beaten CBU in each of the last four matchups. Overall, the Lancers are 2-2 against Utah Valley at home, with their last win coming in January of 2022.

The Wolverines have been led recently by the emergence of Forward Ethan Potter, who has averaged 15 points and seven rebounds per contest over his last four outings. Drake Allen and Caleb Stone-Carrawell continue to lead the team in scoring 11 and 12 points per game, respectively. Allen, a preseason All-WAC selection, led the Wolverines in scoring in that last meeting between CBU and UCU with 17 and has been in double-figures 13 times this season.

A win for the Lancers would give them a sizable lead in the Resume Seeding over the Wolverines and keep them in the hunt for a bye in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

GAME 2 at GCU:

The final matchup of the week will be a road trip to the top-ranked team in the conference in the Grand Canyon Lopes. The Lopes have been receiving votes in the Associated Press Poll for the past few weeks and are currently receiving 13 votes in that poll. In the College Insider Mid-Major Poll, the Lopes are ranked third behind only Indiana State and St. Mary's and are receiving three first-place votes in that ranking.

The Lopes are tied with Houston and Purdue for the best winning percentage in the nation, boasting a 22-2 record, with their only losses coming to #11 South Carolina and Seattle U (both on the road.) The Lopes are 12-0 at Global Credit Union Arena and are dominated by the WAC Resume Seeding Standings. The Lopes are 5.7 points clear of the closest competition and have already stamped their ticket to WAC Vegas.

On the national level, the Lopes are a top 10 free-throw shooting team, ranking third in makes per game and seventh in attempts per game. GCU also ranks top 20 in the nation in blocked shots at over five per game and in scoring margin, outscoring their opponents by 13.5 points per contest. The Lopes are led by the trio of Tyon Grant-Foster, Gabe McGlothan, and Ray Harrison, who all average double-figures and are top 11 in the conference in scoring.

Grant-Foster is second in the WAC in scoring at over 19 per contest and has thrice been named Newcomer of the Week. McGlothan averages 15 points and nearly eight boards per game and has already been named the WAC Player of the Week three times this season. Harrison, the reigning WAC Player of the Year, averages 14 points per contest for the Lopes and leads the team in assists per game, averaging just under four.

CBU AT A GLANCE:

The Lancers are currently in third place in the conference standings with a 7-5 record and are 14-9 overall.

CBU has hung its hat on the defensive end of the court, ranking 34th in the country in scoring defense and #1 in the conference. The Lancers hold their opposition to 65.2 points per game and have only surrendered an 80-point game once this season. CBU has allowed 70 points only six times this season and has held an opponent under 60 points six times.

The Lancers rank in the top 35 in both rebounding margin and offensive rebounding. CBU outrebounds their opposition by six rebounds on average and hauls in 13 offensive boards per contest. Hunter Goodrick and Yvan Ouedraogo are both in the top 60 in the country in rebounding at 40th and 62nd, respectively. The Lancers are the only team in the nation with two players in the top 65 in rebounding and have the second-best duo in the country in combined rebounding behind Lassina and Aboubacar Traore from Long Beach State.