CBU drops 71-63 to North Florida in new coach Kyle Getter's debut

The California Baptist University men's basketball team lost 71-63 to North Florida on Tuesday night.

The contest at Fowler Events Center served as the season opener for the Lancers and the coaching debut for Kyle Getter.

Only three players returned from the roster that won the Western Athletic Conference Tournament title last season.

Jordan Müller led the Lancers with 15 points in the defeat.

North Florida controlled the boards with 41 rebounds against 31 for California Baptist.

The Ospreys also outscored the Lancers 42-20 in the paint.

The loss snapped a 19-game home winning streak for the Lancers.

The previous home loss for the team was a 60-57 decision against Southern Utah on Feb. 6, 2025.

The game started slowly with both teams missing shots.

The two teams combined for just 3 made field goals in the first 4 minutes of play.

Müller provided a spark by hitting a mid-range jumper to give CBU a 12-10 lead.

North Florida responded with JR Bartelus scoring six consecutive points near the basket to retake the lead for the Ospreys. Ethan Duncan made three free throws to put CBU ahead 29-28 with under three minutes left in the first half. That was the last time the Lancers held the lead. Mason Lee and Kent Jackson hit three-pointers to extend the North Florida lead to 42-34. Mason Watkins drove for a layup to push the Ospreys ahead by 11 points with 11:49 remaining. CBU cut the deficit to five points on three separate occasions. Jonas Žilinskas hit a three-pointer with 1:32 left to close the gap to 69-63. North Florida missed the first shot in three one-and-one opportunities during the final 50 seconds. The Lancers failed to score on their last five possessions. Getter noted that the team shared the ball well but needed to be more physical in the paint. "We are a young group, and we will try to learn from it and continue to grow in the future," Getter said. Müller added that the team needs to use every practice to improve. "I think we've been improving throughout the preseason, so now the job is to implement that now that these games count," Müller said. Terry Coner Jr. finished with 13 points for CBU. Žilinskas added eight points and five rebounds. North Florida had five players score in double figures. Kent Jackson led the Ospreys with 15 points. Watkins contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. Ayuba Bryant Jr. scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Lancers travel to Corvallis on Friday night to play Oregon State.