Preview: Utah Valley vs. California Baptist in WAC Tournament Semifinal

LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — A spot in the Western Athletic Conference tournament championship will be on the line Saturday when second-seeded Utah Valley faces third-seeded California Baptist at Orleans Arena.

The semifinal matchup, scheduled for March 14, 2026, features two of the league’s top teams. Utah Valley (25-7) enters with the higher seed, but California Baptist (24-8) brings momentum from a five-game winning streak.

The teams split their regular-season series, each winning on their home floor. Utah Valley delivered a dominant 65-46 victory on Feb. 19, holding California Baptist to a season-low in points. The Lancers answered with a 78-71 overtime win at home on Jan. 24. The Wolverines hold a 2-1 edge in this season’s head-to-head matchups.

The game will feature a compelling backcourt duel. California Baptist is led by high-scoring guard Dominique Daniels, who is averaging 30.2 points over his last five games. He erupted for 41 points in Friday’s quarterfinal win over Utah Tech. However, Daniels was held to just 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting in the February loss at Utah Valley.

Utah Valley counters with versatile guard Trevan Leonhardt, who impacts the game across multiple categories. In the Wolverines’ narrow quarterfinal win over Texas-Arlington, Leonhardt contributed 12 points and three assists. He tallied nine points and eight assists in the Feb. 19 win over the Lancers.

Both teams advanced with hard-fought victories Friday. California Baptist defeated Utah Tech 86-72 behind Daniels’ outburst, while Utah Valley edged Texas-Arlington 67-65 on a last-second defensive stop.

The winner will advance to face either top-seeded Grand Canyon or fourth-seeded Seattle U in Saturday night’s championship game, with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament at stake.