"This group of players, it was on full display tonight. Their belief in each other, it means everything to them to represent CBU and do it in a positive way. Cal Baptist coach Rick Croy emphasized the team's cohesion and commitment to representing the program positively after winning the WAC tournament championship."
"Anything can happen in March, that's what I kept telling myself those last three possessions. Dominique Daniels Jr., who scored 23 points for Utah Valley, reflected on the unpredictability of tournament basketball during the final moments of the closely contested championship game."
"I'm really proud of our guys. They battled all night and put themselves in a position to win the game. It's tough when it comes down to one play like that, but our guys showed a lot of heart and toughness. Utah Valley coach Todd Phillips acknowledged his team's effort despite the narrow loss in the tournament final."
Cal Baptist, the No. 2 seed, won the final Western Athletic Conference tournament championship by defeating top-seeded Utah Valley 63-61. The decisive moment came when Utah Valley's Isaac Davis missed a potential tying alley-oop dunk with three seconds remaining. Cal Baptist (25-8) secured its first NCAA tournament bid in program history after transitioning from Division II in 2018 and becoming postseason-eligible in 2022-23. The Lancers extended their Division I-era single-season wins record with their sixth consecutive victory. Utah Valley (25-8) had won back-to-back conference regular-season titles and four of the past six, but their seven-game winning streak ended in this tournament final.
#ncaa-tournament #wac-conference-tournament #cal-baptist-basketball #college-basketball-championship
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