MONMOUTH, Ore. — Last time No. 21-ranked California Baptist University faced rival Azusa Pacific, it wasn't certain it would be the last time these two teams faced each other. Turned out, it wasn't.
 
Saturday night, with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line, the Lancers closed the book on the Cougars with a sweet 72-68 victory, their seventh-straight win over APU.
 
CBU improves to 27-5 on the year and keeps on dancing. APU ends its season with a 21-11 mark.
 
Kalidou Diouf led four Lancers in double figures with 20 points. Jordan Heading followed with 15 points (6-for-10), while De'jon Davis chipped in 13 points (5-for-8). Bul Kuol rounded out the quartet with 11 points (3-for-4).
 
The Lancers out-rebounded the Cougars 29-to-26, with Diouf grabbing seven boards. Davis chipped in another five.
 
It started out back-and-forth, until the Lancers took off on a 13-0 run to grab a 10-point lead, 26-16. APU had taken a 16-13 lead, but Bul Kuol bounced in a tough shot to spark the run. Heading knocked down a deep three during the spurt, before a Ty Rowell layup capped the onslaught with just about four-and-a-half minutes left in the half.
 
CBU held onto that 10-point cushion at the break, 34-24, after Rowell drained a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the teams into the locker rooms.
 
Despite the double-digit upper hand, the Lancers didn't have time to get complacent as the Cougars came charging back in the second.
 
With less than a minute left in the game, APU pulled within one, 68-67. The Cougars fouled, sending Rowell to the charity stripe and the true freshman knocked down both his free throws, 70-67, with just 9.3 seconds left on the clock.
 
It wasn't over yet, however, as APU drew a foul and made the first free throw. The Cougar tried to miss the second on purpose, but CBU got the ball. APU had to foul once again, but Diouf sealed the victory with both his chances at the line going through the hoop, 72-68.
 
The Lancers face Western Oregon on Monday for the NCAA Division II West Region Championship.