California Baptist University
17-14,9-7WAC
Tarleton State University
12-20,7-9WAC
CBU Advances to WAC Semifinals Following Gritty Win over Tarleton
3/14/2025 1:48:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS, NV--- The California Baptist University men's basketball advanced to the Western Athletic Conference Semifinals on Thursday night after taking down the Tarleton Texans 55-51 in a late-game thriller at the Orleans Arena.
CBU earns a spot in the final four of WAC Vegas for the first time in program history following their takedown of Tarleton and has now won at least one game in the WAC Tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
Following a 9 PM tip-off, the Lancers took the floor against the Texans in the final quarterfinal matchup of the day. Offense was hard to come by in the early going for either team, as the two squads went scoreless through the opening three minutes of play. The CBU offense picked up toward the end of the half as they would take a 24-17 lead on the Texans following a pair of triples from Tylen Riley and Adam Moussa. The lead would extend to nine points as the first half came to an end, with the Lancers securing a 30-21 lead.
CBU would take its lead up to double-digits in the early going of the second half, but the Texans would slash that in half and then some at 37-33. The Lancers would keep the Texans at arm's length for the next several minutes, but Tarleton would refuse to go away. The sixth-seeded Texans would cut the deficit back to four with 4:00 remaining. CBU would earn four free-throw opportunities following a flagrant and technical foul from the opposing team but could only convert one of them, keeping the game from completely turning in CBU's favor.
Tarleton would eventually take its first lead since the early going with 1:27 remaining on a driving layup by Dantawn Grimes. CBU would not panic and would retake the lead on the ensuing possession off a clutch corner triple from Moussa with 1:03 remaining. CBU's defense would carry them to victory, getting two critical stops down the stretch. The Lancer defense, paired with a pair of free throws from Kendal Coleman, would help CBU hold on for the 55-51 victory.
"We knew that this was going to be a really tough, probably ugly game, but I am really proud of the guys for pulling it out in the end," said Head Coach Rick Croy following his team's win.
STATISTICAL NOTABLES:
Dominique Daniels Jr., in his first WAC postseason game, led the way in scoring with 13 points while his fellow backcourt mate Riley chipped in ten points and six assists. Moussa was a critical presence for the Lancers against his old team, coming up with a handful of critical plays on both ends of the floor. Sam Silverstein was everywhere on the floor for CBU, grabbing a season-high 12 rebounds and making several defensive stops for Head Coach Rick Croy.
As a unit, the Lancers outrebounded the Texans 39-26, including a 15-2 advantage on the offensive glass. CBU's defensive effort was the key to victory as they would hold Tarleton to 1-10 shooting from the perimeter, and only 19 made field goals. The Lancer bench was also a key factor in the game, scoring 19 points against just two for the Texans.
The win was also a major milestone in the coaching career of Coach Croy as it marked the 250th win as the head man of the Lancers.
NEXT: CBU will take on #2 Grand Canyon in the WAC Semifinals on Friday at 8:30 PM in the Orleans Arena.
