California Baptist Wins WAC Title, Earns First-Ever NCAA Tournament Bid

California Baptist stunned Utah Valley 63-61 in the Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball championship game at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on March 14, 2026.

The Wolverines led late but missed a final alley-oop attempt that would have tied the game. Dominique Daniels Jr. scored 23 points - including two clutch three-pointers in the final two minutes - to seal the win.

This marks California Baptist’s first NCAA Tournament bid in program history. The school completed its transition from Division II to Division I in 2018 and became postseason-eligible in 2023.

Utah Valley, the WAC regular-season champion and winner of seven straight, fell to 25-7 and now faces uncertainty about an at-large tournament selection.

Both teams will join the Big West Conference next season. The WAC will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference.