• Box Score

CALIFORNIA (Jan. 24) – In a rematch of last season's conference championship game, the Vulcans suffered a 56-52 loss to Edinboro University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play on Saturday at Hamer Hall on Alumni Day.

The California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team holds an overall record of 10-6, while Edinboro boast a 13-4 mark. The Vulcans and Fighting Scots are two of four teams tied for first place in the PSAC Western Division standings at 3-1 in league play.

Junior guard Jerial Nixon (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain Admiral King/Lakeland C.C. (Ohio)) scored 13 points with five rebounds and two steals in 25 minutes off the bench. Freshmen Travon Vann (Frederick, Md./St. John's Catholic Prep) and Kelsey Williams (Sandusky, Ohio/Sandusky) each finished with nine points and combined to make 10 rebounds (six offensive).

Trailing 12-6 with 14:28 remaining in the first half, the Vulcans engineered a 16-4 run to claim a 22-16 lead with 4:59 left before halftime. Edinboro responded by scoring nine of the final 13 points in the half to enter the break tied at 25-25.

The two rivals continued to battle throughout the second half, as the final 20 minutes featured five ties and seven lead changes. The game remained a possession game for nearly the first the 15 minutes of the half until the Fighting Scots scored 12-straight points to take a 52-42 lead with 3:22 remaining. During the Edinboro rally, Cal U was held scoreless for seven-plus minutes after missing 10-straight shots.

The Vulcans then countered with seven-unanswered points to make it a 52-49 contest following a three-pointer by sophomore guard Joe Berenato (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) with 20 seconds remaining. Edinboro stretched its lead back to five points, 54-49, after following a pair of free-throws before Nixon countered with a trey and 15 seconds left, 54-52. After the Fighting Scots made one-of-two free-throws, the potential game-tying three-pointer by Nixon with five seconds remaining was unsuccessful.

Both teams struggled with their shooting touch throughout the game, as Cal U made only 19-of-55 attempts (34.5 percent) from the floor. In comparison, Edinboro was held below 42 percent for only the fourth time this season (41.5 percent; 22-of-53).

The Fighting Scots out-rebounded the Vulcans by a 43-34 margin and scored 16 second-chance points on 16 offensive rebounds.

Cal U committed only 11 turnovers and registered eight blocks against Edinboro, including five by junior forward Chris Moore (Ellicott City, Md./Howard/Morgan State (Md.)), who leads the 16-team league with 41 blocks.

The Vulcans return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 28, when they host rival Indiana University of Pennsylvania for an 8 p.m. start at Hamer Hall.

Notes:
Prior to the game, Cal U hosted its annual alumni basketball team. Over 20 former players participated in the game and alumni activities. Notable participants included Ron Banks, Ron Jones, Alioune Mbaye and Ryan Stefanski. The White Team registered a 106-101 victory over the Black Squad at the Alumni Game. Dontay Hardnett was named the MVP of the game after scoring 18 points.