RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Junior guard Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan) scored a career-high 23 points and DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) added 19 points, including a half-court shot at the final buzzer, as nationally ranked California Baptist held off a late charge from Dixie State for an 88-81 win Saturday night at Van Dyne Gymnasium.
 
Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) also had 19 points for the Red Storm (3-3, 1-1 Pacific West), 15 of which came in the second half, and four blocks. Mark Ogden Jr. (Spring Valley, CA/Steele Canyon) added three blocks and a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
After Dixie State opened the game on a 6-0 run and led 17-14 midway through the first half, the Lancers (6-1, 1-0 PacWest) went on a seven-point spurt to take their first lead. The teams traded the lead six more times before a pair of Thompson free throws cut CBU's lead to 38-37 at the half.
 
Helped by a 4-0 opening run, the Storm gained a three-point lead, 41-38, early in the second half. The margin held until the 13:14 mark, when CBU made a big push. A 17-6 scoring run over three minutes included three of the six 3-pointers hit by the Lancers in the second half. The rally pushed the home team ahead by 10 points, 64-54, and gave the Lancers firm control of the game at that point.
 
The Red Storm would spend the final 10 minutes trying to string points together while holding off a Lancer offense that shot 50 percent from the field in the game. Four consecutive free throws from Robbins cut the lead to six, but that is as close as Dixie State would get.
 
CBU would regain a double-digit advantage over the final minute, but Thompson's heave from half court ripped the net as the horn went off to set the final differential at seven points.
 
Five players scored in double figures for the Lancers. Michael Smith led the way with 17 points off the bench.
 
Dixie State shot identical 40 percent (14-35) in each half, but struggled from behind the arc (3-11). Collectively, the Storm hit 88 percent from the charity stripe.
 
After a split of the opening weekend in PacWest play, Dixie State returns home next Saturday, Dec. 13, for a 3:30 p.m. matinee with Fresno Pacific.