RIVERSIDE, California ­—Tarleton State Men's Basketball was unable to surmount the Lancers early lead and dropped their first WAC game of the season, 77-63 on Thursday night at the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center.
 
The Lancers (9-7 overall, 2-3 WAC) handed the Texans (10-5, 3-1) their first loss in WAC play. With the loss, Tarleton is in sole possession of second place in the WAC based on winning percentage.
 
Devon Barnes led the Texans with 12 points while shooting five-for-11 from the floor. He also co-led the team ins teals with a pair.
 
Dario Domingos was the only other Texan to score in double-figures with 11 all off the bench. Emmanuel Innocenti's five rebounds and two assists led the squad in both categories.
 
California Baptist Yvan Ouedraogo's 13 board and 14 point performance played a significant factor for the Lancers. Dominque Daniels Jr. led all scorers with 17.
 
The Lancers started both halves on 8-0 runs, never allowing the Texans to lead in the contest. CBU had control of the boards and was able to keep their foul count down, which played a major role in the outcome.
 
CBU came out of the gates in the first half with all sabers blazing, scoring the first eight points of the contest. The Texans fought back, using an Innocenti triple and a strip-and-score bucket for Smith to cut the deficit to 12-9 at the 14:07 mark.
 
Tarleton showed signs of overtaking the Lancers, coming within one, three times. Barnes brought the Texans within one at the 11:41 mark with a pair of back-to-back buckets.
 
Trailing 33-28 an interesting turn of events gave the Texans four points without any time running off the clock. Williams drove to the basket to earn the foul with 2:00 on clock. After Lue Williams swished his first of two free throws, Lancers head coach Rick Croy was given a technical foul for coming onto the court and showing his disagreement with the call. The technical free throws were then granted to the Texans before Williams took his final shot. Barnes made both of his free shots followed by Williams converting on his second, to bring the Texans within one.
 
In the Texans' final possession of the half, Barnes knocked down a mid-range jumper to cut the Lancers lead to 35-34 heading into the break.
 
California Baptist took the reins to start the half on once again an 8-0 run. The Texans fell victim to a pair of second chance baskets earned by a pair of Lancer offensive rebounds.
 
CBU took control in the second half breaking out to its biggest lead of the night, 21, with just over eight minutes to play.
 
The Texans showed fight just a little late with Domingos creating a 5-0 run of his own. Domingos battled in the paint to back-to-back layups resulting in the and-one call. He knocked down the free throw in his first three-point play. But, Domingos was unable to convert the second to cut the Lancer lead to 65-51.  The junior transfer picked up his third and-one layup of the game and drained the free throw attempt with three minutes to go.
 
In the end, the Lancers proved too much for the Texans to overcome, with CBU handing the Texans their first loss of conference play, 77-63.
 
California Baptist dominated on the glass out-rebounding the Texans, 45-24, with 19 on the offensive end. The Texans won the turnover battle, 11-9. Tarleton held  CBU to shoot six-for-21, 28.6 percent from behind the arc. The Purple and White shot 25-for-56 at a 44.6 percent rate from the floor and 3-for-11 from deep.
 
The Purple and White will close the weekend in Phoenix against Grand Canyon, who is receiving votes in the latest AP Poll, on Saturday night at 8 p.m. in GCU Arena.