Utah Tech could not overcome a big second half Lancer run as the Trailblazers dropped their second-straight Western Athletic Conference game at California Baptist, 72-58, on Thursday night at the CBU Events Center.

How it happened 
Utah Tech (9-7/1-2 WAC) did not trail in the first half, which started out with the big men for both teams shining offensively. Tanner Christensen accounted for eight of the Trailblazers' first 16 points of the period on 4-of-6 shooting, while CBU 7-0 center Timothy Ighoefe poured in nine early points on 4-of-4 from the floor, as UT clung to a 16-14 advantage.
 
The Trailblazers eventually rattled off an 11-2 run to open up a nine-point lead at 27-18 following a Jacob Nicolds dunk with 3:34 to go in the frame.

However CBU (9-7/1-2 WAC) would close the half with six-straight points as part of an 8-2 spurt to make it a 29-26 game at the intermission.

Utah Tech enjoyed a solid first half offensively, hitting on 13-of-27 of its shots, though the Blazers went just 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile CBU trailed by just three points despite going 0-of-11 from the perimeter and was just 12-of-33 (.364) from the floor. 


CBU kept the momentum going out of the halftime break, scoring seven of the first nine points of the second half to take its first lead of the night at 33-31 with 17:04 remaining.

UT countered with back-to-back 3-pointers from Isaiah Pope and Christensen, and added a Nicolds free throw to go back up five at 38-33 with just under 14 minutes to play.
 
Utah Tech would then go cold offensively as the Blazers went more than five minutes without a field goal, while the Lancers rattled off a 13-3 run to open up a five-point lead at 46-41 midway through the stanza.
 
Nicolds finally stopped the CBU run, albeit briefly, with a 3-pointer at the 9:33 mark, but CBU kept the rally going, outscoring Utah Tech 22-7 to extend to a 10-point advantage at 55-45 with 5:59 left. 

California Baptist, which outscored UT 46-29 in the second half, would push its lead to as many as 18 points before settling for the 13-point final margin of victory.
 
Numbers to know
Christensen posted his second double-double of the season with a co-game high 17 points and a career-best 14 rebounds. Christensen connected on 7-of-12 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers. 
 
Nicolds added 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, which included a career-high four 3-pointers (4-of-6 3FG). 
 
Pope wound up with 13 points on 5-of-11 from the floor to go with four rebounds, while Frank Staine chipped in eight points and grabbed five boards.  
 
Utah Tech struggled from the floor in the second half, connecting on just 9-of-29 (.310) in the period, including a 1-of-10 clip during CBU's decisive run. UT finished the game at 39.3 percent (22-of-56) from the game, including an 8-of-25 (.320) effort from the perimeter.

The Trailblazers also struggled at the foul line, going 6-of-15 (.400) in the second half, this after not going to the charity stripe in the first half. Despite Christensen's 14 caroms, UT was outrebounded by CBU, 43-35 (26-16 in the second half). 
 
Scotty Washington scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the second half (3-of-4 3FG) to lead four Lancers in double figures. 
 
While Utah Tech struggled in the second half offensively, CBU hit on 17-of-32 (.531) of its field goal attempts in period two, including a 7-of-15 clip (.467) from beyond the arc. The Lancers finished the game shooting 44.6 percent (29-of-65) from the floor. 

Bolstered by Washington, CBU's bench outscored Utah Tech's bench by a 49-3 count. The -46 point deficit is the largest bench point differential against UT this season. 
 
Up next
Utah Tech will play three of its next four games at home, beginning with a WAC date against Stephen F. Austin next Thursday, Jan. 12. Tip-off inside the Burns Arena is set for 7 p.m.