• Box Score

ASHLAND, Ohio (Dec. 29) – The Vulcans registered a 77-63 victory over Humber College (Ontario) on Monday at the Kates Gymnasium in the consolation game of the Holiday Inn Express Classic, hosted by Ashland University. Due to the Hawks status with the NCAA, the game was played an exhibition.

Junior guard Jerial Nixon (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain Admiral King) led the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the floor. The 6-1 junior also collected six rebounds, six steals and four rebounds in 25 minutes of action.

Redshirt freshman forward Kelsey Williams (Sandusky, Ohio/Sandusky) posted 12 points on 6-of-13 attempts with six rebounds (four offensive), while senior Julian Logan (Kalamazoo, Mich./Loy Norrix) and freshman Chad Tipton (Hanover, Pa./South Western) each scored nine points.

The Vulcans featured balanced scoring in the victory, as the trio of Samba Fall (Dakar, Senegal (Africa)/Jean DeLafontaine), Kenny Johnson (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver Falls) and Chris Moore (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) each finished with eight points in less than 20 minutes of play. Fall also grabbed six rebounds, while Moore registered three blocks off the bench.

In the first half, Cal U broke a 22-22 tie to take a 31-24 lead after a dunk by Nixon before Humber reclaimed the lead, 34-33, after mounting a 10-2 run. However, the Vulcans responded with five points by Nixon down the stretch to take a 41-38 lead into halftime.

Leading 50-47 midway through the second half, Cal U mounted a 20-5 rally over a seven-minute span to claim a 70-52 lead with 7:25 left in the game. During the run, the Vulcans made 7-of-12 field goals and forced the Hawks into seven turnovers. Cal U maintained a sizeable double-digit lead in the final minutes of the game with Humber cutting the deficit to only 14 points.

Despite holding a slim 39-36 edge in rebounds, the Vulcans dominated from in close by scoring 50 points from inside the paint. Cal U also registered 14 second-chance points on 14 offensive rebounds and collected 22 points after forcing 24 turnovers.

Cal U finished the game shooting at a 44.9 clip (31-of-69) after making 50 percent (15-of-30) of its shots in the second half. In comparison, Humber shot a similar 43.4 percent (23-of-53) from the floor.

Guard Akeem Sween led the Hawks with a game-high 19 points with 13 rebounds (four offensive), while fellow guard Daviau Rodney added 18 points despite committing eight turnovers.

The Vulcans return to action on Saturday, Jan. 3, when they travel to face West Chester University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover game. Tip-off at West Chester, Pa., is set for 3 p.m.