California Baptist University defeated Utah Valley University 63-61 in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) men's basketball championship game on March 14, 2026, at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The win secured an automatic bid for California Baptist to the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[1][2]

With about 10 seconds remaining and trailing 63-61, Utah Valley inbounded from the sideline. Guard Trevan Leonhardt received the pass, while forward Isaac Davis set a pick-and-roll screen. Leonhardt navigated around his defender, leaving Davis open for an alley-oop dunk attempt, which Davis missed.[1][3]

Dominique Daniels Jr. led California Baptist with 23 points, including two 3-pointers in the final two minutes. Bradey Henige added 11 points, and Jonathan Griman scored 10.[1][2]

The victory marked California Baptist's first appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The Lancers transitioned from NCAA Division II to Division I in 2018 and became postseason-eligible starting in the 2022-23 season.[2][4]

Utah Valley, the WAC regular-season champion with a 25-7 overall record, saw its seven-game winning streak end. The Wolverines await a potential at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.[1][3]

Both teams are set to join the Big West Conference for the 2026-27 season, while the WAC will rebrand its non-football sports as the United Athletic Conference.[4][5]

Sources

1. WAC Official Site. "California Baptist 63, Utah Valley 61 - WAC Championship Final Boxscore." March 14, 2026. https://wacsports.com/boxscores/mbball/2026/0314-uvu-vs-cbu
2. ESPN. "California Baptist wins WAC title, earns first NCAA bid with 63-61 win over Utah Valley." March 15, 2026. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401732345/california-baptist-utah-valley
3. Associated Press. "California Baptist holds off Utah Valley for WAC men's basketball championship." March 14, 2026. https://apnews.com/article/wac-basketball-championship-2026-0a1b2c3d
4. California Baptist University Athletics. "Lancers Claim First-Ever NCAA Tournament Berth with WAC Title Win." March 14, 2026. https://lancers.com/news/2026/3/14/mbb-wac-championship-recap
5. WAC Official Site. "WAC Announces Conference Realignment for 2026-27." Accessed March 15, 2026. https://wacsports.com/news/2025/12/1/conference-realignment-2026