Thursday, March 5
Riverside, Calif.
7:00 PM
California Baptist University
vs
Abilene Christian University
Photo by: Ella DuPree
MBB Preview: CBU Looks to Make History in the Season’s Final Week
3/4/2026 5:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE --- The season's final game inside the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center tips off Thursday night when CBU welcomes Abilene Christian back to Riverside. As the final week of the season gets underway, the Lancers step into their final two tests looking to make history and solidify a top spot in next week's WAC Tournament.
A win on Thursday against ACU will be a milestone moment for head coach Rick Croy and his squad. The Lancers have won 21 games this season, which matches the most wins in CBU's Division I era. One more win will put the 2025-26 Lancers in a class of their own as the first team in program history to win 22 or more games since joining Division I.
But there is more at stake. The Lancers are 14-0 at home and have not lost in their last 18 games inside the Fowler Events Center. CBU has not finished undefeated in Riverside since joining Division I.
Thursday will also be a sendoff for five seniors who will suit up in a CBU uniform in front of their home fans for the last time. Those seniors are Dominique Daniels Jr., Jayden Jackson, Miles Daniels, Monty Bowser, and Martel Williams.
Emotions will be high on Thursday, but with so much to play for, the level of focus will be high as well.
CBU enters the final week of the season 11-5 in conference play, placing them a game behind Utah Valley for first place. Utah Valley also has two games this week: the first is a Thursday night visit to Southern Utah, and the second is a Saturday night game in St. George against Utah Tech. Utah Valley lost in both of its previous visits to its Utah counterparts.
For the Lancers to clinch a share of the WAC regular season championship, they will need to win both of their games this week and have Utah Valley lose one. A 2-0 week for the Lancers, paired with a 0-2 week by UVU, will make CBU the standalone champions of the regular season.
A tie with Utah Valley puts CBU in the second seed for the WAC Tournament based on tiebreakers. The top two seeds automatically advance to the semifinals of the conference tournament in Las Vegas.
The Lancers are 2-0 against their two opponents this week, Abilene Christian and Southern Utah. CBU took down ACU in their first meeting, a 74-58 final in Texas, and then followed it up with a two-point win against the Wildcats last month in Riverside. ACU is 5-11 in WAC play and has lost its last two games.
Southern Utah will host CBU in the regular-season finale on Saturday. The game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (PT). The Lancers have a pair of victories over the Thunderbirds, one in Riverside and the other in Cedar City. SOU's visit to Riverside ended in a narrow three-point win for the Lancers, but in their visit to Utah, CBU pulled away to a 17-point win.
Thursday's home finale is scheduled for 7 p.m. Senior Night festivities will begin approximately 20 minutes before game time. Tickets for the final home game of the season are on sale HERE.
A win on Thursday against ACU will be a milestone moment for head coach Rick Croy and his squad. The Lancers have won 21 games this season, which matches the most wins in CBU's Division I era. One more win will put the 2025-26 Lancers in a class of their own as the first team in program history to win 22 or more games since joining Division I.
But there is more at stake. The Lancers are 14-0 at home and have not lost in their last 18 games inside the Fowler Events Center. CBU has not finished undefeated in Riverside since joining Division I.
Thursday will also be a sendoff for five seniors who will suit up in a CBU uniform in front of their home fans for the last time. Those seniors are Dominique Daniels Jr., Jayden Jackson, Miles Daniels, Monty Bowser, and Martel Williams.
Emotions will be high on Thursday, but with so much to play for, the level of focus will be high as well.
CBU enters the final week of the season 11-5 in conference play, placing them a game behind Utah Valley for first place. Utah Valley also has two games this week: the first is a Thursday night visit to Southern Utah, and the second is a Saturday night game in St. George against Utah Tech. Utah Valley lost in both of its previous visits to its Utah counterparts.
For the Lancers to clinch a share of the WAC regular season championship, they will need to win both of their games this week and have Utah Valley lose one. A 2-0 week for the Lancers, paired with a 0-2 week by UVU, will make CBU the standalone champions of the regular season.
A tie with Utah Valley puts CBU in the second seed for the WAC Tournament based on tiebreakers. The top two seeds automatically advance to the semifinals of the conference tournament in Las Vegas.
The Lancers are 2-0 against their two opponents this week, Abilene Christian and Southern Utah. CBU took down ACU in their first meeting, a 74-58 final in Texas, and then followed it up with a two-point win against the Wildcats last month in Riverside. ACU is 5-11 in WAC play and has lost its last two games.
Southern Utah will host CBU in the regular-season finale on Saturday. The game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (PT). The Lancers have a pair of victories over the Thunderbirds, one in Riverside and the other in Cedar City. SOU's visit to Riverside ended in a narrow three-point win for the Lancers, but in their visit to Utah, CBU pulled away to a 17-point win.
Thursday's home finale is scheduled for 7 p.m. Senior Night festivities will begin approximately 20 minutes before game time. Tickets for the final home game of the season are on sale HERE.
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