The California Baptist University men’s basketball team has made it over the hump.
Adam Moussa sank a 3-pointer to help the Lancers regain the lead with a minute left, and Kendal Coleman sealed things at the free-throw line in the closing seconds as No. 3-seeded California Baptist University escaped with a 55-51 win over No. 6 seed Tarleton State in a Western Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinal game Thursday night at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
This marks the first time CBU has reached the WAC Tournament semifinals. The Lancers lost in the quarterfinal round each of the previous two seasons. CBU plays No. 2-seeded and defending champion Grand Canyon University on Friday at 8:30 p.m. CBU and Grand Canyon split games during the regular season, with each team winning at home: CBU 85-71 and GCU 66-64.
CBU (17-14) led by as many as 11 points in the second half, but Tarleton State chipped at the deficit. The Texans put together a 12-5 run over a span of 6 minutes and 19 seconds and grabbed a 51-50 lead on Dantwan Grimes’ lay-up with 1:27 left to play.
Moussa had the answer for the Lancers. The senior guard from Cairo, Egypt, received a pass from Tylan Riley on the left wing with a 1:04 left on the clock. He faked a defender, stepped back and calmly knocked down a 3-pointer to put CBU back on top.
Moussa is a graduate student at CBU and played at Tarleton State last season.
Tarleton State (12-20) missed a 3-pointer at the other end, and Riley grabbed the rebound. Moussa’s 3-pointer on the ensuing possession drew iron, but Coleman secured an offensive rebound and was fouled. He sank two at the line with 16 seconds left.
Dominique Daniels Jr. scored 13 points (6-of-18 shooting) to lead the way for CBU. Riley finished with 10 points, six assists and three steals, and Martel Williams added nine points off the bench. Sam Silverstein had a game-high 12 boards for the Lancers.
Grimes scored a game-high 16 points to lead Tarleton. Freddy Hicks and Keitenn Bristow added 13 and 12 points, respectively.
CBU outrebounded Tarleton 39-26 during Thursday’s game, including a 15-3 edge on the offensive end. However, the Lancers were unable to take full advantage of those numbers, as they scored only nine second-chance points throughout the contest.
CBU WOMEN’S COMEBACK FALLS SHORT
Avery Brittingham scored 20 points and made two free throws in the closing seconds as the No. 3-seeded UT-Arlington held on for a 72-66 victory over No. 6 California Baptist in a WAC Tournament quarterfinal game Thursday afternoon at Orleans Arena.
UT Arlington (16-12) held a 13-point lead entering the final period, but the defending WAC Tournament champions started to make a furious comeback. Grace Schmidt scored a game-high 23 points, eight of which came during a 13-2 run that helped the Lancers (12-19) trim the deficit to 63-61 with 3:15 remaining in the game.
UT Arlington’s lead stood at six in the final minute, but Nhug Bosch Duran drained a 3-pointer from the corner with 23 seconds left to halve that deficit. Brittingham sank two shots at the free throw line, and Taliyah Clark made another to seal the victory.
Anaiyah Tu’ua tallied 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists for California Baptist, and Khloe Lemon added 10 points for the Lancers. Schmidt also had a game-high nine rebounds.
Koi Love and Clark finished with 18 and 16 points, respectively, for UT-Arlington, which plays No. 2-seeded Tarleton State in the semifinals Friday at 2:30 p.m.
California Baptist led 11-6 with 5 minutes remaining in the first quarter, but UT-Arlington took control of the game with a 24-4 run over the next 8 minutes.
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