Tylen Riley helps California Baptist men’s basketball team knock off Grand Canyon – San Bernardino Sun

RIVERSIDE — Tylen Riley will not wait any longer.

The sophomore guard scored a career-high 25 points to lead the California Baptist University men’s basketball team to an 85-71 victory over Grand Canyon University on Saturday night at the Fowler Events Center.

“I’m not waiting. I’m tired of waiting,” said Riley, who played a season-high 31 minutes. “I’m going to go get every opportunity and press every advantage for this team.”

Riley was 5 of 9 from the field and 13 of 16 from the free throw line as CBU beat the defending conference champions two nights after losing to last-place Southern Utah.

“I think this feels like a turning point,” Riley said. “We need to use this and take this energy, and show the WAC that CBU is here.”

Added Lancers coach Rick Croy: “I knew (the loss) bothered them, and I know we have a good group when they want to come back and win just as much or more than me.”

The victory comes at a pivotal point for CBU (12-11 overall, 5-4 WAC), which now has won three of its last four and currently sits in a tie for third place with seven games remaining in the regular season.

“This group knows the kind of tenacity that we have to bring, and I still think we can play better than this,” Croy said. “We can keep getting better. We just have to stay at the task.”

Senior forward Kendal Coleman was 7 of 14 from the field and 5 of 5 from the line for a season-high 19 points after scoring just five points against Southern Utah.

“We have to bring it like this every night,” Coleman said. “I feel like this is who we are. This is us when we’re playing at our best.”

Coleman was active in the paint early and the Lancers were 18 for 39 from the field for a 47-41 lead at halftime.

“I thought Kendal, in particular, was really bothered by Thursday night,” Croy said. “I know what this game meant to him and he showed it.”

Dominique Daniels Jr., the team’s leading scorer at 20 points per game, laid it high off the glass for a 55-43 lead with 15 minutes remaining.

Grand Canyon’s Tyon Grant-Foster sank a short jumper at the other end to keep the Lopes (17-6, 7-2) within 10 points, but Riley drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to move it to 58-47, and Daniels’ runner was good to make it a 13-point lead with less than 13 minutes left.

Daniels (13 points) picked the pocket of GCU point guard Ray Harrison and went up-and-under the rim for the finish and a 62-47 lead.

“Dom’s dynamic and teams focus on him,” Riley said. “It opens up a lot of space and I was able to just attack it.”

The Lancers, who sank 15 of 17 free throws in the second half, pushed their advantage to 17 points with less than 10 minutes left.

Riley made it a 19-point lead after going coast-to-coast with under 5 minutes to go.

“I know I can help this team,” Riley said. “I just need a chance. That’s all.”