RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- California Baptist University men’s basketball head coach Tim Collins has announced the addition of another major NCAA Division I opponent to the Lancers’ 2008-09 schedule.

Already playing storied UCLA (Nov. 3), the Lancers will also travel across the country to take on Big East-member Seton Hall Tuesday (Dec. 9) at 7:30 p.m. in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The game will be an exhibition for the Lancers and will count as an official game for the Pirates.
 
“We are very honored and thankful for the opportunity that Head Coach Bobby Gonzales, his staff and the athletic administration of Seton Hall University have given to our institution,” said Collins. “This experience will be a lifelong memory for our players and institution. To be able to play against a Big East member in this fantastic atmosphere and enter into the basketball tradition created at Seton Hall is a blessing to our players and institution. We have had the opportunity to compete against some quality Division I opponents the past few years, always hopeful to create enough resistance in the game to help both teams.”

Seton Hall returns six players and three starters, including leading scorer Brian Laing (18.6 ppg., 6.9 rpg.), from last year’s team that finished 17-15, losing to Marquette, 67-54, in the opening round of the Big East Tournament. The Pirates were 7-11 in conference play

The 2008-09 season marks the 20th anniversary of the Pirates’ trip to the 1989 Final Four where they lost to Michigan in the championship game.

CBU is coming off one of its finest seasons in program history, returning six players, including NAIA All-American Mark Roussin, from last year’s 24-9 team that finished the season ranked No. 13 and advanced to the NAIA Sweet 16 for the second time in four years.