RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Interstat) — Dominique Daniels scored 26 points and California Baptist used a decisive second-half surge to pull away from Utah Tech for a 73-64 victory in a Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at CBU Events Center.

The Lancers, who led by just three points at halftime, outscored the Trailblazers 44-38 after the break to improve to 14-6 overall. Utah Tech fell to 10-11.

Daniels, a 5-foot-10 guard from Compton, California, was the catalyst for the home team, adding five assists in 34 minutes. His backcourt mate, Martel Williams, added 13 points, while 7-foot center Bradey Henige contributed eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Utah Tech was led by Jusaun Holt’s 21 points and four assists. Noah Bolanga, a 6-foot-8 forward from Poitiers, France, scored 13 points for the Trailblazers.

The game was a defensive struggle early, with both teams committing turnovers and missing shots. California Baptist held a narrow 29-26 lead at intermission despite shooting just 37% from the field in the opening period. The Lancers found their rhythm after halftime, shooting 51.7% from the floor in the second half while clamping down defensively.

A critical sequence early in the second half turned a tight contest into a more comfortable lead for California Baptist. Leading 33-30, the Lancers embarked on an 8-0 run, capped by a Dominique Daniels driving layup off a Utah Tech turnover, to extend their advantage to 41-30 with 15:37 remaining. The Trailblazers would not get closer than seven points the rest of the way.

California Baptist’s interior dominance was a key factor, as the Lancers outscored Utah Tech 44-24 in the paint. They also converted Utah Tech’s six turnovers into 14 points, while the Trailblazers managed only two points off an equal number of Lancers turnovers.

Utah Tech struggled offensively for much of the night, finishing 23 of 62 from the field for a 37.1% clip. The Trailblazers were efficient from the free-throw line, making all 10 of their attempts, but could not overcome their shooting woes from the field. California Baptist shot 47.5% for the game, making 28 of 59 attempts, and held a slight 11-9 edge in offensive rebounds.

The Lancers also won despite attempting only five three-pointers in the second half and finishing 5 of 17 from beyond the arc for the game. Utah Tech was 8 of 21 from three-point range.

The victory extended California Baptist’s winning streak to three games and completed a regular-season sweep of Utah Tech, having also defeated the Trailblazers 84-72 on Jan. 8 in Riverside. The teams are scheduled to meet again on Feb. 14 in St. George, Utah.

California Baptist entered the game as a 6.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, and the combined score of 137 fell well under the pregame over/under line of 141. National statistical services gave the Lancers an 88.8% probability of winning prior to tipoff.

An announced crowd of 2,264 watched the game at the CBU Events Center.

Utah Tech will look to rebound at home against Southern Utah on Saturday. California Baptist continues its homestand, hosting Utah Valley on the same day.