LAS VEGAS—Whereas 90 % of the nation was asleep late Saturday night time, true insanity unfolded inside a three-quarters-empty enviornment linked to a dingy off-strip resort and on line casino known as The Orleans.
With just below three minutes to go, No. 1 seed Utah Valley held a seven-point lead within the WAC Championship over No. 2 seed Cal Baptist and appeared poised to make its first NCAA Match look. Utah Valley had managed to carry Cal Baptist’s star guard Dom Daniels Jr. to simply 14 factors on a tough 4-of-22 from the sector to that time, whereas UVU’s Jackson Holcombe had simply transformed and-one to culminate an 8-0 run that seemingly swung all momentum to that aspect of the fitness center.
It’s March, although. As soon as the supernatural magic of this month begins to kick in, you come to study that video games have a tendency to not comply with the standard scripts. This one definitely didn’t. With Utah Valley nonetheless greedy a six-point lead on the two-minute mark, Daniels lastly linked on a three-pointer to trim Cal Baptist’s deficit to a few factors. After which on Cal Baptist’s subsequent possession about 30 seconds later, Daniels drained one other 3-pointer to tie the sport at 60 with 1:16 remaining.
THIS. GAME. IS. TIED. 😤#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/GUzOFTmM0E
— California Baptist Males’s Basketball (@CBUmbb) March 15, 2026
A Worthy End
A questionable foul on Cal Baptist despatched Holcombe to the road for Utah Valley with 39 seconds left, the place the sophomore made 1-of-2 makes an attempt. Had Daniels not instantly turned nuclear on the proper time, perhaps Cal Baptist would have had a bit little bit of panic. There was none. With 17 seconds left, Daniels sank a 3rd 3-pointer in lower than two minutes to offer CBU an unbelievable 63-62 lead and successfully turned himself from zero to hero.
Utah Valley’s Isaac Davis misses a possible game-tying dunk 😯 within the closing seconds to permit Cal Baptist (which trailed by 7 with beneath 3 minutes to go) to clinch its first NCAA Match berth by successful the ultimate WAC recreation ever.
That is March 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eQucBHYbPz
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 15, 2026
Nevertheless, 17 seconds remained between Cal Baptist and the NCAA Match. Utah Valley nonetheless had a determined measurement benefit and had been scoring at will inside for a lot of the second half and Cal Baptist nonetheless hadn’t actually discovered a viable reply for that. It seems, the Lancers wouldn’t have to.
That is Why We Love March Basketball
Utah Valley guard Tevan Leonhardt drove left and tossed an alley-oop to ahead Isaac Davis, however the go was a contact too tender, and Davis caught it too low to efficiently convert the dunk and was stuffed by the rim. Jonathan Griman secured the rebound for Cal Baptist and tossed it out to Daniels on the outlet go, who tossed the ball as excessive as he may in celebration because the buzzer sounded. As a substitute of Utah Valley making its maiden NCAA Match journey, it was Cal Baptist’s second within the lights as an alternative.
What made this basic much more insane was that it was the final recreation within the historical past of the WAC, which has supplied extra reminiscences for faculty sports activities followers than people could understand. This match didn’t come with out aspect drama both, after Utah Valley was almost banned from the match on account of unpaid league charges and needed to put $1 million in escrow simply to have an opportunity to play within the convention match because the league’s No. 1 seed.
It could actually’t be March with out drama, and The Orleans had drama this week within the highest order. At a time throughout convention match week the place the time begins to tug a bit bit, Cal Baptist and Utah Valley placed on the present of the weekend.
