California Baptist will make its debut in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament Friday against fourth-seeded Kansas in an East Regional game in San Diego, the NCAA announced Sunday.
The 13th-seeded Lancers qualified for the tournament for the first time in their fourth season of eligibility with a 63-61 victory over Utah Valley in the championship game of the Western Athletic Conference tournament Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Dominique Daniels Jr. made a 3-point basket with 17 seconds to play to give California Baptist the lead for good in a game in a game that featured 12 lead changes and 11 ties.
Forward Isaac Davis missed a potential game-tying alley-oop dunk with two seconds to play for the Wolverines (25-8) in front of a crowd announced at 1,511 at Orleans Arena.
California Baptist (25-8) enters the tournament with a six-game winning streak. The Jayhawks (23-10) are coming off a 69-47 loss to Houston in a semifinal of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday night in Houston.