Thursday, January 15
Abilene, TX
5:00 PM
California Baptist University
13-6,3-3WAC
74
at
58
Abilene Christian University
10-8,2-3WAC
1
2
F
California Baptist
46
28
74
Abilene Christian
29
29
58
Photo by: Matt Horrocks
Williams Matches Career-High as Lancers Top Abilene Christian
1/15/2026 7:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ABILENE, TX --- Senior Martel Williams matched his career-high on Thursday as the Lancers improved to .500 in the WAC with a 74-58 win against Abilene Christian. The win, CBU's third in a row, is the Lancers' first conference victory away from Riverside this season.
The Lancers are now 3-3 in conference action as their win streak touches three. CBU entered Thursday 0-3 on the road in conference games but had found some momentum with a 2-0 homestand last week.
Williams returned to the lineup on Thursday after missing Saturday's win against Southern Utah. His return did not go unnoticed as Williams matched his career-high of 23 points, doing so in 32 minutes of action in which he also pulled down 7 boards.
"It's amazing, when you focus on the right things, the rest of the stuff tends to take care of itself," said head coach Rick Croy when asked about Williams' performance. "The thing about (Martel) is, he's not concerned about scoring anymore, he's just focused on being the best competitor and leader that he can be for his team. That takes maturity, and it usually takes longer than guys realize."
The Lancers also saw double-digit scoring come from Dominique Daniels Jr. and Jayden Jackson, as both dropped ten in the win.
Thomas Ndong led CBU with nine rebounds as the Lancers outrebounded ACU by a commanding 14 boards (42-28).
"We were determined to come in and play with toughness and let the result take care of itself," added Croy. "We were totally united and played with great intensity every single possession. What you have to do against Abilene, they are so good at bringing the fight, so they had our full respect. I'm really pleased with the way we stayed after."
Thursday was a complete performance by the Lancers as CBU led for over 33 minutes of regulation. ACU opened with a strong 9-2 run, but CBU countered with eight unanswered to take their first lead at 10-9. A bucket by ACU flipped the advantage back to the Wildcats, but then a Rene D'Amelio jumper with 13:38 remaining gave CBU a lead they would never relinquish.
The Lancers shot 50 percent from the field in the first half as they connected on 15-of-30, including a 4-of-6 mark from three-point range. CBU added ten more field goals in the second half as they finished the game shooting 44.6 percent as opposed to 37 percent from ACU.
CBU's largest lead of the night was a 24-point cushion with nine minutes remaining in regulation.
Rich Smith led Abilene Christian with 22 points on 7-of-12 from the field. Smith was the only ACU player to finish in double figures.
The Lancers will get the weekend off this week, as their next home contest is January 21, when Utah Tech makes its second appearance inside the Fowler Events Center this season. The homestand continues with a visit from Utah Valley on January 24.
Tickets for all remaining home games are on sale HERE.
The Lancers are now 3-3 in conference action as their win streak touches three. CBU entered Thursday 0-3 on the road in conference games but had found some momentum with a 2-0 homestand last week.
Williams returned to the lineup on Thursday after missing Saturday's win against Southern Utah. His return did not go unnoticed as Williams matched his career-high of 23 points, doing so in 32 minutes of action in which he also pulled down 7 boards.
Good to have Martel back on the floor 👏 #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/Avd3eYtyst
— California Baptist Men's Basketball (@CBUmbb) January 16, 2026
"It's amazing, when you focus on the right things, the rest of the stuff tends to take care of itself," said head coach Rick Croy when asked about Williams' performance. "The thing about (Martel) is, he's not concerned about scoring anymore, he's just focused on being the best competitor and leader that he can be for his team. That takes maturity, and it usually takes longer than guys realize."
The Lancers also saw double-digit scoring come from Dominique Daniels Jr. and Jayden Jackson, as both dropped ten in the win.
Thomas Ndong led CBU with nine rebounds as the Lancers outrebounded ACU by a commanding 14 boards (42-28).
"We were determined to come in and play with toughness and let the result take care of itself," added Croy. "We were totally united and played with great intensity every single possession. What you have to do against Abilene, they are so good at bringing the fight, so they had our full respect. I'm really pleased with the way we stayed after."
Thursday was a complete performance by the Lancers as CBU led for over 33 minutes of regulation. ACU opened with a strong 9-2 run, but CBU countered with eight unanswered to take their first lead at 10-9. A bucket by ACU flipped the advantage back to the Wildcats, but then a Rene D'Amelio jumper with 13:38 remaining gave CBU a lead they would never relinquish.
The Lancers shot 50 percent from the field in the first half as they connected on 15-of-30, including a 4-of-6 mark from three-point range. CBU added ten more field goals in the second half as they finished the game shooting 44.6 percent as opposed to 37 percent from ACU.
CBU's largest lead of the night was a 24-point cushion with nine minutes remaining in regulation.
Rich Smith led Abilene Christian with 22 points on 7-of-12 from the field. Smith was the only ACU player to finish in double figures.
The Lancers will get the weekend off this week, as their next home contest is January 21, when Utah Tech makes its second appearance inside the Fowler Events Center this season. The homestand continues with a visit from Utah Valley on January 24.
Tickets for all remaining home games are on sale HERE.
Team Stats
CBU
ACU
FG%
.446
.373
3FG%
.429
.300
FT%
.857
.680
RB
42
28
TO
10
8
STL
4
5
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
8
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
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