California Baptist University
17-6,7-3WAC
Tarleton State University
11-12,2-8WAC
CBU Extends Win Streak with 56-55 Win over Tarleton State
2/5/2026 11:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University men's basketball team kept its impressive home win streak alive on Thursday night as they staved off the Tarleton Texans 56-55 in Riverside.
CBU's excellence on the glass and at the free-throw line were the keys to victory as the Lancers moved to 7-3 in the Western Athletic Conference standings and 17-6 overall. The win extends CBU's winning streak to six straight, and the home victory is the 14th in a row dating back to early February of last season.
Scoring was at a premium for both teams for most of the contest, as they struggled to score against one another's tenacious defenses. Turnovers were an early theme in the contest, as there would be eight miscues before the first media timeout at 15:35. Tarleton would lead early. Still, the Lancers would not let the lead expand over two possessions as the Texans would take a slim 30-28 lead into halftime off a late jumper by DJ Dormu on the baseline.
Jayden Jackson would open the scoring in the second half with a catch and shoot triple to give CBU the lead out of the gate at 31-30; however, the Texans would respond with their best scoring of the night at 12-2 to capture the largest lead of the night for either team at 42-33. CBU would slowly but surely chip away at the lead over the next several minutes, and their defense would force several critical stops. The Lancers would mount a 14-0 run over six minutes as all the momentum flipped toward the home team.
The Texans did not completely let the game slip away and kept the Lancers from blowing it open. Tarleton State would cut the lead to two points with 2:07 remaining off a pair of free throws and would get several key stops on the ensuing possessions. Martel Williams would split a pair of free throws with 45 seconds remaining to keep it as a one-possession game, and TSU's DJ Dormu would connect on a pull-up jumpshot to bring the Texans within one with 34 seconds to play. CBU would miss a deep heave from Jordan Muller, allowing the Texans to have a shot at the win, but the deep hoist by Freddy Hicks would be well off to seal the 56-55 victory for the Lancers.
As previously mentioned, the Lancers' presence on the glass was a critical edge for CBU, as they outrebounded the Texans 46-27, including an incredible 20-4 advantage on the offensive glass. The Lancers made the most of their free-throw trips, converting 16 of 20 and outscoring Tarleton by 11 points in the department. Martel Williams led the scoring with 15 points, which included eight free throw conversions, while Dominique Daniels Jr. would net 11 points and haul in six rebounds. On the boards, Bradey Henige would be a forced to be reckoned with, collecting a career-high 13 which also included seven on the offensive glass.
