RIVERSIDE — Be the last to represent the WAC.
The California Baptist University men’s team reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
The California Baptist University men’s team reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
The California Baptist University men’s team reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University men’s players Thomas Ndong, Dominique Daniels Jr., and Devon Malcolm react during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University men’s players Chase Mayo Harmon, Rene D’Amelio, and Thomas Ndong react during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University men’s player Thomas Ndong, Dominique Daniels Jr. showing the trophy, Devon Malcolm, and Jonathan Griman during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University men’s player Dominique Daniels Jr. reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
The California Baptist University men’s Head Coach Rick Croy addresses the team and attendees during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearace, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University men’s basketball team supporters during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University men’s Head Coach team addresses the team and attendees during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s team reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. They will play against #1 seed UCLA. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s team reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. They will play against #1 seed UCLA. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s team reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. They will play against #1 seed UCLA. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s team reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. They will play against #1 seed UCLA. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s team reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s team reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. They will play against #1 seed UCLA. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s Head Basketball Coach Jarrod Olson addresses the attendees during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s team supporters cheer during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s team supporter Patricia Edwards cheers during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s Basketball team supporters cheer during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s players CeCe Legaspi, Lauren Olsen, and Emma Johansson during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s player Khloe Lemon reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University Basketball players Filipa Barros and Dominique Daniels Jr. pose for a photo after the watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s players react during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University women’s basketball players listen to head coach Jarrod Olson after the watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
California Baptist University Basketball players Filipa Barros and Dominique Daniels Jr. chat after the watch party for the bracket reveals, on their second NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
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The California Baptist University men’s team reacts during a watch party for the bracket reveals, on their first NCAA Division I March Madness appearance, inside the Fowler Events Center on Sunday, March 15, 2026. (Photo by Milka Soko, Contributing Photographer)
This was the objective shared by the California Baptist University men’s and women’s basketball teams when the 2025-26 season began. And that goal was achieved in Las Vegas on Saturday when the Lancers swept the Western Athletic Conference tournaments and secured spots for March Madness.
California Baptist is one of only six NCAA Division I schools whose men’s and women’s basketball teams claimed conference tournaments this season. The others who swept conference tournament titles were Duke (ACC), Gonzaga (WCC), High Point (Big South), Howard (MEAC) and Idaho (Big Sky).
The men’s team plays Kansas at Viejas Arena in San Diego on Friday at 6:45 p.m. The women take on UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday at 7 p.m.
“This is historic for CBU and a fantastic moment for our school and community,” Micah Parker, Vice President for Athletics, said in between the teams’ Selection Sunday watch parties. “A lot of people pay attention to March Madness. We’re proud that both of our teams are succeeding and doing well.”
California Baptist will join the Big West Conference next school year, ending the institution’s eight-year membership in the Western Athletic Conference. The WAC will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference, made up of three current members, five from the Atlantic Sun and one from the Ohio Valley.
California Baptist Lancers forward Grace Schmidt (33) celebrates the team’s Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball league champion with a piece of the net in Riverside on Saturday, March 7, 2026. California Baptist University defeated Southern Utah 77-61 to win the Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball regular-season finale. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
It should come as no surprise to see both CBU basketball teams participating in March Madness. The men were tabbed the preseason favorite by the WAC coaches. The women were co-favorites. Abilene Christian finished one point ahead of CBU, but the Lancers had twice as many first-place votes.
The outlook was not quite as rosy when 2026 came around. The women’s team lost their final six nonconference games and entered WAC play with a 6-7 record. The men, meanwhile, went 10-3 in nonconference play but then opened the WAC schedule with three consecutive losses (all on the road).
“Even though we were losing, we still believed we had the ability to be great and do great things,” senior Grace Schmidt said about the women’s rough patch in December. “It always came down to believing in ourselves and each other. We remained positive and lifted each other up on and off the court.”
Likewise, there was no panic on the men’s side following the 0-3 start in conference play.
“In our early meetings as a group, we had the maturity to put our focus on something toward the end and then strive and build at having that big finish,” CBU men’s coach Rick Croy said. “If we had put our focus on the regular-season championship, we might have been easily derailed by starting off 0-3. … The reality of this mid-major conference is it’s a one-bid league. And we always knew this was going to come down to who showed up big in Vegas.”
The teams turned things around in contrasting ways. The men’s team made the Fowler Events Center a fortress this season, going 15-0 in their arena (9-0 in conference play). The women’s team, on the other hand, were the road warriors and went 9-0 in their conference games away from Riverside.
“I just kept telling them our best basketball is ahead of us,” women’s coach Jarrod Olson said. “We’ve been trending in the right direction for a while.”
The women’s team captured the WAC regular-season championship for the third time and went to “WAC-Vegas” as the No. 1 seed for the tournament. The Lancers rolled past Tarleton State 77-60 in the semifinals and Abilene Christian 74-58 in the finals to claim a third WAC Tournament championship.
“It’s so cool to be the last WAC champions,” said junior point guard Filipa Barros, who was chosen the WAC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
The men were the No. 2-seeded team for the WAC Tournament and opened with an 86-72 win over Utah Tech in the semifinals. The Lancers’ dreams for a first March Madness were fading, as they trailed top-seeded Utah Valley 60-54 with 2 minutes remaining in the Saturday’s championship game. But Dominique Daniels Jr., the WAC Player of the Year, came to the rescue, sinking three 3-pointers down the stretch to propel CBU to a 63-61 win.
“It was a surreal feeling. I still don’t have words to describe it,” said Daniels, a graduate student and the nation’s No. 5 scorer at 23.2 points per game “That’s definitely a moment I will always remember. I kept looking up at the clock and telling myself over and over that anything can happen in March.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 14: Dominique Daniels Jr. #1 of the California Baptist Lancers celebrates defeating the Utah Valley Wolverines 63-61 in the championship game of the Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
And speaking of anything can happen in March, Daniels and company will be looking to upset Kansas, one of college basketball’s notable blue bloods. Kansas is making its 53rd appearance, and the Jayhawks have won 113 tournament games and four national championships (most recently in 2022).
“We obviously have a ton of respect for Kansas,” Croy said. “But in college basketball in 2026, any team can beat another if you do what you do well.”
Sunday provided a moment of déjà vu for the women’s program. The Lancers faced UCLA when they made their first tournament appearance in 2024.
“i was a little surprised,” Schmidt said of CBU’s No. 16 seed. “But we stay close and will have good support. Hopefully it leads to a better performance.”