LAS VEGAS – Tarleton State Men's Basketball came up short after a second half surge to fall to third-seeded California Baptist in the WAC Tournament Quarterfinals, 55-51, at The Orleans on Thursday night.
 
The sixth-seeded Texans (12-20 overall) end their season and will look to build off their young core for the 2025-26 slate. The third-seeded Lancers (17-14) are heading to their first WAC Semifinal appearance in program history.
 
Dantwan Grimes posted a team-high 16 points in his final game of his junior season with the Texans. Grimes also led Texans with seven boards, three assists and three steals. For the first time this season, Grimes earned the start and played the entire 40 minutes.
 
Freddy Hicks scored 13 points in his final game as a Texan. The senior finishes his Texan career with 1,025 total points, the most by a Texan in the D1 era. Keitenn Bristow was the third Purple and White to register double digits with 12. Bristow also added a pair of blocks.
 
The first half started slow with neither team scoring in the first three minutes. Benjamin got the Texans on the board first with a bucket 3:09 into the contest. The Lancers quickly responded to take the lead with a triple, 3-2. Grimes gave the Texans the lead back with his first bucket on the next possession to put the Texans back ahead, 4-3.
 
Grimes buried his first from deep just a few minutes later. Bristow followed up with a bucket to put the Texans on a mini 5-0 run and hold a 9-5 advantage. The two teams traded baskets over the next four minutes with a basket from Izzy Miles and a pair of freebies from Hicks.
 
Mizell tied the game with a free throw and made the second to put the Texans ahead, 15-14, with just over five minutes left. But the Lancers offensive found momentum in response. CBU used a 10-2 run over the next two minutes to break out to a seven-point advantage. The Lancers closed the half with six of the last eight points to take a 30-21 lead into the break.
 
The Texans scored the first three points of the second half all via Hicks. CBU then widened their lead to 11 with 16:07 to go, their largest of the night. The Texans battled back with a 7-0 run to bring themselves within four, 37-33, with 14 minutes remaining. A pair of free throws from Miles followed by a Grimes' And-one propelled the run. Hicks capped the burst with a pair of freebies as well.
 
The Lancers lead didn't drop below five over the next eight minutes. CBU led by as many as eight multiple times. With the Lancers leading by eight, 47-38 with seven minutes left.
Tarleton made a late run out-scoring CBU, 12-3, to take a 51-50 lead. Bristow accounted for the next four Texan points. Grimes posted the next four on back-to-back layups to bring the Texans within three, 50-47.
 
Bristow made the next bucket to bring the Texans within one, 50-49 with 2:47 to go. After a Nick Krass block, Grimes grabbed a defensive rebound and took it to the rim to give Tarleton their first lead of the second half with 87 ticks remaining. On the next possession, former Texan Adam Moussa sunk a triple that put the Lancers in the lead for good, 53-51. CBU iced the game with a pair of free throws to ultimately end the Texan season, 55-51.
 
Tarleton State shot 44 percent from the floor, out shooting the Lancers who shot 33 percent. Tarleton made just a single triple shooting 10 percent, while CBU made seven at a 27 percent rate. The Texans won the battle of the turnovers, forcing 13 and committing just 11. CBU won the glass out-rebounded Tarleton, 39-26.
 
Tarleton State ends their 2024-25 season and looks forward to next fall in their new event center, scheduled to be open for the first games of the basketball season.